Development and evaluation of respiration-guiding stuffed toy using biofeedback mechanism

Abstract

  Following natural disasters, accidents, and shocking incidents, some children experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among the treatments, relaxation using respiration control is said to be an effective method for preventing PTSD and easy to learn. Therefore, we developed a respiration-guiding stuffed toy for children to encourage them to learn the respiration method using biofeedback mechanism. The respiration wave could be measured by the built-in sensing device, and the child's respiration could be led by the moving built-in device. Respiration-guiding by the device led children to breathe more slowly and made them more relaxed than just hugging it. Application to the PTSD patients is expected in the future.