Mindfield eSense Skin Response User manual

MANUAL
User manual | Biofeedback-training | eSense-App | Electrodes
Version 5.1.0 | 22th of May 2021

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Contents
Contents................................................................................................................................ 1
Delivery contents............................................................................................................... 5
News..................................................................................................................................... 5
Skin response in general....................................................................................................... 6
Skin response and biofeedback training................................................................................ 7
Skin Conductance Response (SCR).................................................................................. 8
Preparation and start of the app...........................................................................................12
Fixation of the Velcro-electrodes.......................................................................................12
Procedures...........................................................................................................................14
Open Training...................................................................................................................14
Preparation and start ........................................................................................................15
First stage (observe and experiment; determine your initial status)...................................16
Second stage (targeted Biofeedback training with the skin response)...............................18
Third stage (deliberate provocation, relaxation and stress coping)....................................18
Fourth stage (transfer; relaxation without feedback) .........................................................19
Functions of the Mindfield eSense App ................................................................................20
General notes...................................................................................................................20
General view & Open Training..........................................................................................21
Breath Pacer (optional).....................................................................................................22
Biofeedback Snake...........................................................................................................23
Survey (optional)...............................................................................................................23
Pie charts (after a measurement)......................................................................................24
Procedures.......................................................................................................................25
Procedure editor...............................................................................................................26
Add new module...............................................................................................................27

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Overview of the modules ..................................................................................................28
Creation of an procedure..................................................................................................31
Meditations.......................................................................................................................32
Own media (photos, videos and audios)...........................................................................32
Settings (Overview) ..........................................................................................................33
In App Purchases .............................................................................................................36
Archive (overview)............................................................................................................37
Archiv (individual view) .....................................................................................................38
Marker feature ..................................................................................................................40
Account and Cloud ...........................................................................................................41
eSense Web App..............................................................................................................42
Supported devices Android...............................................................................................43
Supported devices iOS.....................................................................................................43
Smart Bulb (optional)........................................................................................................44
Electrode types ....................................................................................................................46
Velcro electrodes..............................................................................................................46
Finger clips (without gel)...................................................................................................46
Gel electrodes (disposable) ..............................................................................................47
EDA gel electrodes (reusable)..........................................................................................47
Possible electrode positions.................................................................................................48
Velcro electrodes..............................................................................................................48
Gel electrodes...................................................................................................................49
Finger clips.......................................................................................................................49
EDA gel electrodes...........................................................................................................50
Extending the cord of the eSense.........................................................................................50
Technical Data.....................................................................................................................50
EC Declaration of Conformity for the Mindfield eSense........................................................52

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Privacy policy.......................................................................................................................53
Transmission of anonymous usage data and crash reports ..............................................53
Contact.................................................................................................................................54
Your Notes...........................................................................................................................54

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Delivery contents
Delivery contents eSense Skin Response:
- Mindfield® eSense Skin Response Sensor
- 2 Velcro electrodes (and 2 spare-electrodes)
- eSense app from Mindfield (Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App-Store)
Delivery Contents eSense Skin Response Bundle:
- Mindfield® eSense Skin Response Sensor
- 2 Velcro electrodes (and 2 spare-electrodes)
- eSense app from Mindfield (Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App-Store)
- 2 + 4 Velcro-Electrodes
- 50 pieces GSR single-use electrodes with gel
- GSR Finger Clips without gel, 2 pieces
News
In addition to the usual bug fixes and small improvements, we have once again
improved the design and navigation with the new version 5.1.0 of the eSense app.
This means that the app runs even faster and smoother now.
Another new feature is the extended view of the archive with which you can track
and evaluate your measurements over a longer period even better.
We have also optimized the cloud view. This means that the cloud functions can be
used even more effectively.
However, you still have the option of using the app as usual with all previous
functions without creating an account.

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Skin response in general
Skin response, also known as galvanic skin response (GSR), electrodermal response
(EDR) or skin conductance (SC) is a measurement method based on bio-electrical
properties of the skin. The skin conductance depends on the activity of the sweat
glands of the skin and reacts to the smallest changes, which we can’t detect as wet
hands yet. The eSense Skin Response applies a very small, safe and unnoticeable
electrical voltage, which results in an electricalcurrent to the skin. Through the changes
of this small current, we can measure the activity of the perspiration glands of the skin
far below the threshold of self-perception. The higher the activity of the sweat glands,
the more the skin gets wet and the better the current is conducted. As a result, the Skin
Conductance rises.
The Skin Response measures the Skin Conductance in Micro Siemens or µSiemens.
Skin conductance is measured in µSiemens or symbolized as µS (where µ denotes a
millionth and Siemens is the unit of conductance). “Skin resistance” is also a common
term, simply denoting the inverse of conductance (1S = 1/Ω).
The activity of the perspiration glands is determined by the autonomic nervous system,
which contains two major subunits: the parasympathetic nervous system and the
sympathetic nervous system. The perspiration glands of the skin are solely controlled
by the sympathetic nervous system, making them a good indicator for inner strain and
stress. The sympathetic nervous system reacts to stress stimuli by activating all the
“emergency functions” of the body, bringing it to a state of heightened responsiveness:
Pulse and blood pressure rise along with the glucose level in the blood and general
alertness. With these changes comes the effect of “wet hands” on which our
measurement relies.
We all know a time in our lives when we got wet hands. Think of the speech you gave
in front of an audience, or a job interview. If in those situations you were excited, can
you remember the cold, sweaty hands?
A scientific theory for this effect assumes that our ancestors needed wet hands to have
a firmer grip on things; for example, in an escape or pursuit through difficult terrain.
When the threatening situation is over, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes
dominant: Pulse, blood pressure and glucose level fall again. The body enters a rest
state to allow recuperation. The hands become dry again.
The increased activity of the perspiration glands through a (stress) stimulus is easily
visible through the associated increase in skin conductance. The stimulus can be
mental or emotional strain, or taking a sudden, deep breath, or a startling action like

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someone unexpectedly clapping hands or the loud drop of an item onto the floor. Just
try it with the eSense - you will easily see the effects!
Skin response and biofeedback training
Stress and its vegetative symptoms can be greatly reduced through biofeedback
training, where you intentionally work on lowering your skin response.
Skin response is a universal tool for biofeedback training. It is widely used in the
therapy of anxiety, panic disorders and specific phobias. Further fields of use are high
blood pressure, tinnitus and sleep disorders. If you suffer from a serious disorder or
medical condition, always consult a professional physician or therapist, and do not
attempt to treat yourself. The eSense Skin Response is not a medical device and may
only be used for stress reduction training.
The Skin Response is a precise device. It can measure the smallest changes which
would be impossible to recognize yourself. Have a look at the following example of a
measurement to see how insightful the results are:
Example measurement curve eSense Skin Response with several, clearly visible
peaks because of stressors. The peaks are recognized and colored by the app.
Measurements are done by placing two electrodes on two fingertips of the same hand.
The dark-colored lower side of the electrode should be in good skin contact. Other
positions for the electrodes and other electrode-types are possible as well.

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The goal of the feedback training is twofold: A reduction of the permanent, basic level
of stress and a reduction of the immediate stress response to a particular stimulus. A
biofeedback training consists of four training stages. Schedule for the first training
about 60 to 90 minutes of free time in which you can conduct the training undisturbed
and flexibly.
It must also be differentiated between different types of stress. There is “bad stress,”
distress, and there is “good stress,”eustress. You need to ask yourself if you are
stressed because you feel overwhelmed and are angry about something or because
you are upset. Or are you “stressed”because you are full of drive and are excited? In
both cases, the eSense Skin Response shows elevated values. However, in the first
case, this is to be judged negatively. In the second case, you can simply enjoy and use
the active or euphoric state.
Skin Conductance Response (SCR)
The Skin Conductance contains two components: the tonic, static “level”and the
phasic, fluctuating “reactions”,and these components are usually designated as Skin
Conductance Responses (SCR).
While the “level”is represented well in the average of the measured values, the eSense
Skin Response also measures the amount of Skin Conductance Response (SCR) per
minute. In general, a higher number of SCR per minute is an indicator for higher stress.
Value from experience which is in alignment with scientific literature
1
suggests that a
“relaxed”frame is between 0 and 5 SRC per minute. From 6-9 SRC/min starts an
animated state. From 10 or even from 16 SRC/min, a level of stress or even high stress
can be assumed.
The SCR are great for comparing biofeedback-sessions to each other. If your goal for
training is a reduction of stress, then the amount of SRC/min should decrease over
several sessions. In the archive of the app, you can compare the different sessions to
each other.
The average value in µS of a session is an indicator for the “level,” hence how high
your basis level of tension or relaxion is. You should also try to lower this while you are
doing stress reduction training. The average value also takes the SCR into
consideration and is falsified with many SRC/min. You should, therefore, use as quiet
a frame as possible without any SCR to determine your own “stress level”in µS.
1
Boucsein, W. B. (2011). Electrodermal Activity (2. Aufl.). Berlin, Deutschland: Springer.

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We have colored the SRC/min in the eSense app. Low SRC are green or yellow and
high SRC/min are orange or red. While making a measurement, the recognized SRC
are colored within the curve. Two examples from our app:
Example of a measurement in a relaxed state with little SRC/min (green and
yellow)
Example of a measurement in a stressed state with more SRC/min (yellow and
orange)

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In the right diagram, there is also the time in which the values rise, fall or have been
steady. With rising stress, the curve rises more often and longer than it keeps steady
or falls. This is also an ideal parameter to analyze and to compare biofeedback
sessions.

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The whole process of detecting and calculating the SCR is a cycle of four steps:
1. Listening state
2. Determining if the signal raise is really a SCR
3. Gathering and calculating SCR and listening asynchronously for SCR
recovery phase
4. Initiate recovery phase and end of fluctuation
We have more detailed information about the SRC in our FAQ:
https://www.mindfield.de/dwnld.php/?download=161
Listening
state
Gathering and calculating
SCR (fluctuation) and
listening asynchronously
for SCR recovery phase
Determining if
the signal raise
is really a SCR
state
Initiate recovery
phase and end of
fluctuation

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Preparation and start of the app
Create the conditions needed for a successful training:
•find a quiet room (mobile phone etc. switched off)
•appropriate temperature of 20-22° C (68-72° F)
•convenient seating
•comfortable clothing
You should avoid all conditions that can make you sweat out of purely physical
reasons, like intense physical activity before training or intense sunlight and heat. This
could falsify your measured values. To obtain comparable results, you should try to
keep your initial and ambient conditions constant through the series of training
sessions.
In comparison with other biofeedback techniques, you will need fewer sessions for a
reliable success. 6-10 sessions should be sufficient. To keep focused throughout the
entire session, you should limit each session’s length to about 30 minutes. If you start
feeling tired while training, you should shorten your sessions and practice more often
instead.
Fixation of the Velcro-electrodes
Wrap the two electrodes around the upper or middle phalanges of your index and
middle finger of the same hand. The dark lower side of the electrodes shall be in good
skin contact. Using the non-dominant hand is advisable (e.g. the left hand for right
handed people) because the skin tends to be a little less callused there. Attach the
cables and wrap the tape another time around their clips to ensure a firm contact.
eSense Skin Response in use with a tablet

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You should neither tape the electrodes too firmly where you would block blood
circulation, nor too weakly so as to let them slip and move around. Put your hand down
onto a comfortable support where it can rest.
Another note: If your values are below 1µS, the electrical contact through the clip is
bad, or your skin is dry and maybe callused. Check the contact clips, or change your
hand or the position of the electrodes if necessary. If the conductance is permanently
bad, we have listed several tips in the FAQ for the eSense Skin Response to improve
the conductance. Usually gel electrodes are necessary. Don’t continue with the
training if the values are below 1µS and solve the cause first.
The next step is to start the app. At the beginning you can choose between a free
training and a procedure. We recommend that you start with a procedure. We present
you both below.
Choose between procedure or open training after starting the app

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Procedures
A procedure consists of several assembled modules. With this new feature, you can
build the perfect individual relaxation guide, do a stress test, use it for pre-defined
biofeedback training or use it for research.
There are many possibilities. During a procedure, your skin response or temperature
(depending on the eSense sensor you have) will be recorded, and after the recording
is made, you can see your results for each module and in total.
Overview after a procedure
We suggest you test the demo-procedures which are included in the app. Those will
give you a guided overview of the different modules and functions of the procedures.
The included procedures are also protected by a password in order that those can’t be
edited or deleted by accident. You can any time create a copy of those procedures
without a password and change it as you wish.
We also explain in detail how you can create and edit your own procedures in the
chapter procedures settings.
Open Training
As a second option you can also conduct an open training. This is compared to the
procedures a bit more complex. We therefore explain a typical open training session
which consists of 4 training phases.

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Preparation and start
1. Follow the first steps of preparation from the previous chapter and choose an
open training in the selection screen after starting the app
2. Tap on Start and have a first look at the measured values
3. For the interpretation of the measurement, we distinguish between “tonic” and
“phasic” effects. The tonic component is the longer-term average of skin
conductance and its development during one session. Values for the tonic level
can vary between 1 to 15 µS, depending on the individual and the situation.
In contrast, rapid changes (in the app, fluctuations are called SCR [Skin
Conductance Responses]) of skin conductance, often caused by a sudden
stimulus but also appearing spontaneously, are the phasic component of the
skin response. The stimulus can appear spontaneous or as a reaction to a
stimulus. The cause of a phasal effect can be internal (thoughts, memories, and
emotions), or external (images, sounds, and events).
4. In a state of heightened excitation, both the general tonic level and the rate of
spontaneous fluctuations is increased. With low excitation and rest comes a
lower tonic level and fewer spontaneous fluctuations.
Example for a situation with rising stress

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Example of a phase with relaxation
First stage (observe and experiment; determine your initial status)
1. Record your baseline state for ten minutes at rest without influencing the
measurement. Relax as best as you can and do NOT watch the measured
values for the whole ten minutes, as it would compromise a true baseline
measurement.
2. Have a look at the complete curve and its average tonic level after the first ten
minutes. Does it rise or fall in certain phases, or is the general level constant
throughout the measurement? How would you judge your ability to relax during
the exercise? Maybe you can already find dependencies between the objective
measurement and your subjective feelings of relaxation or excitation. If you find
no connection, don’t worry; you will find a connection during the sessions to
come. Keep notes on the general level of the curve and the approximate number
of fluctuations per minute to know your initial training status. Both of those
values are shown above the graph.

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Example of a measurement curve (after 5 minutes duration the
background is colored)
3. After completing the ten-minute baseline, you will be shown a survey first.
Answer the questions and take notes if necessary. Then you'll see thepie charts
that show you the fluctuations per minute (in the best case, everything is green)
and how often the readings have risen, stayed the same, and dropped. There’s
more on this topic later.
4. This is your initial training state. Of course, the day also plays a role here: it
should make a difference whether you measure after a stressful working day (or
even at work) or at the end of a relaxing weekend. Use the corresponding
function of the app to export this baseline as a CSV file. You can do this
by calling the measurement in the archive. This will allow you to access
your baseline later (in addition to the archive) by other ways (such as
Excel).
5. One more note: If the readings continue to increase for no apparent reason, the
electrodes may be too tight and may simply be the cause of sweating
underneath. This moisture should be noticeable.

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Second stage (targeted Biofeedback training with the skin
response)
1. The second stage consists of multiple sessions. These sessions should always
follow the following scheme. You shall now exercise conscious relaxation with
the feedback signal.
2. Start the measurement and watch the values for a while. Then try to bring them
down through active, conscious intervention. There are many ways to do this,
such as breathing in a controlled and calm pattern, using techniques of muscle
relaxation or autosuggestion. The exact way is up to you, your knowledge on
relaxation and your will to experiment. Also observe small changes in the
measured values. A part of the training focuses on the general reduction of the
tonic skin conductance level, while a second part focuses on the reduction of
the fluctuations.
3. Both the intensity of a stimulus and its subjective significance will influence the
amplitude of the consecutive skin response. The stimulus can be internal in
nature (thoughts, memories and emotions), or external (images, sounds and
events). Inevitably, it will happen to you that you feel less able to relax; for
example, because of negative thoughts. If you notice a rising skin response as
a result, try to bring it down again. Taking a deep breath brings up the skin
response as well, so try to bring it down again.
4. In the second training phase, the aim is to lower the general level of skin
conductance and reduce the increase as a result of a stimulus as quickly as
possible. They train to reduce their general tension and be able to switch off
flexibly after stressful situations. In the app, you should decrease the average
of your sessions and the number of fluctuations (SCR / min and total SCR).
Third stage (deliberate provocation, relaxation and stress coping)
1. We will now actively use stress stimuli (stressors) to improve your ability to deal
with them. Skin conductance biofeedback is particularly suitable for the use of
targeted provocation methods because it shows a timely and sensitive response
to a stimulus, and because this response is also proportional to the strength and
significance of the stimulus.
2. Start the measurement and watch your readings for a while. Then try to relax.
The training starts with a rest period of a few minutes.
3. Now a selective stressor shouldbe applied. This can be a certainthought, sound
or image with a negative connotation. Almost every person knows certain things

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or situations that distress themself. For example, if you have trouble speaking
out loud before a larger group of people, try to imagine the situation and hold a
speech before them. Under the influence of such a stressor, you are likely to
see a surge in skin response. Try to relax to bring it down again and reduce the
spontaneous fluctuations.
4. Alternate phases of relaxation and stress stimuli during the session. After three
or four rounds, you should finish the session with a relaxation phase. Also, don’t
overstrain yourself. Perform multiple sessions over a longer period of time until
you have the impression that your stress response is significantly reduced, or
you recover quicker after a stressful situation.
Fourth stage (transfer; relaxation without feedback)
1. Now you can check if you can achieve improved relaxation with lower skin
response levels and less fluctuations, even without feedback. Record a ten-
minute baseline WITHOUT watching the measurement while relaxing as best
as you can. Afterwards, compare it to the baseline measurement from the first
stage. Your overall level of skin conductance should have dropped, and/or the
spontaneous fluctuations should have reduced. Your daily condition can affect
the measurement a lot, so repeat the record of the baseline later again if you
feel you had an unusual day.
2. As a more challenging transfer exercise, exert stress stimuli on yourself as you
did in the third stage, but this time WITHOUT looking at your values. Try to
maintain your relaxed state and check afterwards if you succeeded. Have you
been able to keep your skin conductance comparatively low and limit the
amount of fluctuations, even without the immediate feedback by looking at the
values? If you’re able to do this, and your baseline has also dropped in
comparison to the first stage, you have successfully completed the stress
reduction training. When you encounter stress situations in everyday life, recall
the training situation, and use your new skills to stay relaxed. Skill comes with
practice!
3. Our eSense app offers not only the free training but also procedures. These are
ready-made training programs that you can customize according to your wishes.
For the best comparability of training sessions, these should always be
performed under identical conditions (same time of day, electrode position and
type) and of approximately identical duration. The procedures are a great help.
For more information, see the relevant section of this manual.