2021 Volume 48 Issue 1 Pages 11-15
In the great epidemic of new coronavirus infections, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there are many possibilities that biofeedback can contribute to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This review paper addresses the ideal way of biofeedback (BF) using the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), information and communication technology (ICT), and virtual reality (VR). The useful points of AI and ICT in COVID-19 are as follows : early diagnosis, individual behavior tracking, rapid detection and prediction of prevalent areas, development of new drug and vaccine, monitoring of treatment progress, reduction of burden on medical staff, and early prevention. All of these points can be contributed by BF systems. The possibilities of BF are summarized by focusing on the following five points : reduction of medical burden by utilizing BF, infection prevention by BF, telemedicine using BF, reduction of home stress by BF, and provision of BF information to AI and ICT tools. For example, while the tendency to stay at home is increasing, for those who have mental health problems like fear of going out or difficulty in going to school or work, social training by VR at home, as well as telemedicine with medical institutions, may be a good strategy for treatment. In applying BF to medical and health activities, it is necessary to pay sufficient technical and ethical attention at each stage of data acquisition, research and development, and dissemination of use, and the role of the Japanese Society of Biofeedback is important to apply for BF technology.
