Newsletter

There are a many families who would consider neurofeedback training but are unable to drive to a clinicians office twice per week for 2-3 months. Perhaps it is a large family with young children and it would present a hardship for the mother to drive her oldest to the office. Or, in other cases more than one fam ily member needs to train, but the cost of training two or three members of the family--that is the cost in time and finances are simply to high. BrainMaster has a solution. Remote training, is a unique method of training that was developed with the clinician in mind. It a way to create training protocols that cannot be tampered with by clients. Data is shared using BrainMaster's library function. New protocols can be simply uploaded to the client using internet services. Some practitioners report that the majority of their clients train in this manner. Such individuals do return to the office on occasion for retesting and professional training, whereas the bulk of training happens at home. Consider the following list of advantages:

The Advantages of Home

(Remote) Training

1 Data can be exchanged between you and your client in a timely fashion.

(via encrypted internet files)

2 Daily training is possible.

3 Attract long-distance clients: clinical assessments in the office; training at home.

4 Trainees can rent or purchase equipment

5 Clinical control of protocols with BrainMaster software:

Trainees cannot adjust protocols.

6 Clients who come from out-of-town are not overwhelmed by undue traveling distances or financial burdens.

7 Home (remote) training may be the only way some families can participate in neurofeedback training!

8 Multiple family members can be trained with one training unit.

9 Professional fees are added to rental fees.

STS free on-line workshops show you how to add Remote training to your practice. Join our next workshop: sign up today at ISNR.

For upcoming dates check out the following website:

http://www.stresstherapysolutions.org/

Stress Therapy Solutions
3401 Enterprise Parkway Suite #340
Beachwood,, OH 44122

E Mail stsinc@pantek.com

Phone: 800-447-8052
Fax: 440-439-3015

Once the assessment phase is complete clinicians are likely faced with the task of directing neurofeedback training to promote change in the EEG. Clients often learn at different paces and through different protocols. It may be that one protocol is more effective for one particular client. Or, it may be that a combination of protocols may be more effective. For example, lets say a client has excessive posterior alpha. Reducing excessive amplitudes is the goal. You may first try to simply reduce alpha with a monopolar montage at Pz. However, you may quickly determine that this protocol is difficult for the client to master. Rather than limiting the client to this one learning method, it’s time to change strategy without changing goals. Consider the following options:

P3-P4 (bipolar montage) inhibit alpha with one filter or perhaps you can reward beta while inhibiting high beta. As usual you likely will tweak the beta reward as needed. Most practitioners start at 15-18 Hz and change the range up or down in accord with client response to training.

PCz-OPz (bipolar montage) inhibiting just alpha or increasing to a three filter design.

P3 & P4 two channel training. Inhibit alpha at both sites while rewarding beta at P3 and rewarding lobeta at P4. It may be wise to inhibit high beta at P4—depending upon your assessment.

However, it may also be valuable to reverse the references, so that A1 is the reference for P4 and A2 is the reference for P3.

P3 & P4 two channel training with typical or reverse ear reference using BrainMaster’s “component sounds.” Let me explain: (a) Change the frequency range of theta to match the frequency range of alpha. (b) Choose component sounds rather than reward sounds. (c) Inhibit theta in channel one and alpha in channel two. Consequently, the client will receive feedback in an alternating fashion.

Use Event Wizard techniques rather than reward sound techniques. For example, you may wish to down train alpha with % energy rather than amplitude.

Use Event Wizard techniques to sum channel one alpha with channel two alpha. It’s also possible to use standard reward sounds via the sum function found on the “Data Channels” page. Creating sums and sum squashes will be a topic for a future newsletter.

Finally, do not underestimate the value of photic stim immersion glasses. In some cases (when no risk of seizure exists) simply feeding back the client’s own alpha to them works the best. Montage: O1 and O2—always keep ear references on the same side as the active when using the photic immersion glasses.

Each person learns differently, by customizing our approach we will likely have more success.