Rewards Rewards in neurofeedback are the alerts the brain receives to let it know that it has done something worth repeating. Rewards are set in the computer’s protocol and usually come in the form of tones, or a video playing, or points accumulating in a game. When I trained with Joel Lubar in the early […]

Deep Brain EEG Measurement The cortex is the “bark” on the outside of the brain–about a quarter-inch thick. There is no “deep-brain cortical structure.” There are a number of structures in the mid-brain which are heavily involved in how the brain works, but there’s a problem. EEG is produced by one (of many) type of […]

Parietals The parietals are math calculation and concept territory.  P3 can be helpful in calculation and counting; P4 more for math concepts. P4 is the site where we distinguish ourselves in space, where I end and the rest of the world begins.  People who are under-activated here can bump into things a lot. Facial recognition […]

Variance/Variability On the variability page of the TQ assessment, the coefficient of variability is the Variance (standard deviation squared) divided by the mean. It shows the number of times that variance is greater than the average, so a higher number means a much more spread-out distribution–less effective control of brain activity in that area and […]

SCP refers to Slow Cortical Potentials. The brain produces both AC signals (the kind we usually train using neurofeedback), which oscillate between positive and negative numerous times per minute. When you train a signal at 14 Hz, for example, it has 14 positive and 14 negative pulses each second, which we see on the screen […]

Hearing the Signal The skull is a very poor conductor of electricity; it tends to “smoosh” (to use a technical term) the EEG from a fairly broad area–about 10 square centimeters of brain surface.  That’s one reason why it’s not absolutely critical to be in an exact site to train a specific area of the […]

Activation Patterns Once again let me make a point for my own personal prejudice in training. First, very few brains that we are likely to see in training have a problem with too LITTLE activation.  A very large majority will actually reduce activation in ALL bands as they improve. Second, when you train ANY frequency […]

Left Hemisphere vs. Right The right and left hemispheres are geographically and functionally different. The left has more neurons, more closely packed, and the left side neurons tend to have short connections, so they work in their own neighborhoods. Frontal neurons work with frontal neurons; parietal with parietal, etc. They don’t pay much attention to […]

Tracking Changes So many people hear the stories of miracle responses to neurofeedback and assume that’s the norm. The reality is that consistent work over time is what tends to produce lasting results, not miracle reactions. It’s always important to remember that the training is for the brain–not the trainer, and not the trainee’s mind. […]

Thresholds Here’s the way I look at the question of automatic versus manual thresholds: 1. Assuming one is talking about amplitude training only (i.e. not synchrony, variability or other options), generally a more healthy and mature brain produces lower amplitudes and lower variability. Even if you say you are training theta down and SMR up, […]