If you have tried conducting remote or home neurofeedback sessions know that internet speed, lag, and click accuracy are major issues that if not addressed can impede client confidence right from the first session. To resolve it, we have spent years building tools to handle every occasion.
In the end we discovered that we had built a game-changer: a professional. easy to use at-home system that not only didn’t compromise on quality but gave major advantages over in-clinic training.
The foundation of our home training is twofold; a remote training station (spoke) at the client’s home, and your NeuroGuide analysis platform (Hub) to create your protocols and run the sessions.
Each remote computer is a sealed system with a simple interface, much like a public access terminal at a shopping mall.
To resolve these issues, we have built a dedicated operating environment for both the client and therapist. This means there is no software to run, no files to open, no dependencies or user error to worry about; when all is taken care of, user-error drops to zero.
A session can be smoothly run by a therapist (live) at internet speeds as low as 350kbps (20% of the usual requirement).
A user can easily set their own cap and Ana will run and monitor the session at the touch of a button. All is handled automatically with multi-stage stage troubleshooting to ensure that all is correct from start to finish.
The therapist has their own operating environment on the remote computer, hidden from the client’s view. From here you can run your one-to-one sessions while keeping the client monitor free and clear.
With these tools in place, a session can be smoothly run by a therapist (live) at internet speeds as low as 350kbps (20% of the usual requirement).
Remote training needs to feel natural, not a whiff of compromise or half-measure.
Keeping client confidence with a smooth training experience is crucial. You cannot be waiting for mouse action or dealing with a connection delays or missing clicks. We developed software to solve these shortcomings, tools to ensure a smooth client experience and efficient session no matter what. It was no small feat.
The first step is, as always, getting a good sensor connection. The usual impedance design simply didn’t work for us in the field, so we went about it a bit differently and developed our own three-step capping and sensor check procedure. Impedance can be handled in two different ways;
- Basic: For clients setting their own cap.
- Pro, for practitioners or advanced home users.
With the session-assist tools in place, your NeuroGuide protocol will launch in under 18 seconds. NeuroGuide licence refreshes are handled automatically, and beginning to end safety and launch checks are in place to ensure that every session is smooth – even if the internet link connection drops completely.
None of the feedback players on the market suited our need, so being unwilling to compromise we built our own. Feedback options include USB, DVD, a wide range of streaming services (in their own secure search environment), and a directory for your own local library. Feedback is audio and/or video fade in three speeds.
Impedance can be re-checked at any point during the training, and in a few seconds the session will resume where you left off. For those of you familiar with NeuroGuide training, read that again.
No platform is complete without a virtual meeting space for sharing maps and training progress, and a map of brain areas to easily communicate the areas and frequencies being trained. If you choose to share, the client can review their own maps and progress reports through the same secure interface.
Ana (your Automated Neurofeedback Assistant) works for free.
Ana began as a series of safety features to monitor the session and take control in case of any connection drops. Over time she became fully capable of running a session from start to finish.
She can check sensor connection quality, launch the session, control bandpass, pause, resume, advise, report, monitor sensor contact and muscle tension throughout, save, upload, and close the session.
She can monitor sensor contact during a session and interrupt training if need be, and is equipped with an auto-bandpass feature (gradual and stable) for automated or low-bandwidth situations. If you use a Neurofield with your clients, Ana will run the stim ahead of the neurofeedback training session.
Ana is equipped with voice explanations and troubleshooting tips throughout (voice of radio actress Catherine Press).
Ana is a game-changer. With her in place, 19ch remote sessions can be run at a lower cost than any type of in-clinic sessions.
The Captain’s Console helps you control and track any number of clients from your office computer.
Your central hub is your office computer and your NeuroGuide analysis suite. This is where you create maps, build training protocols and track progress.
Your “Captain’s Console” app takes command of all your remote computers.
This is where you review your training files, load and update protocols, set session times, limit hours between sessions or limit the total number of sessions. You can even lock the remote system down completely making it inaccessible to the client.
Set your Ana automation settings to your preference; from therapist-assist mode to fully automated.
You can schedule brain maps, have them gathered automatically on a regular basis, or send reminders to yourself (or your tech) to gather one before a specific session.
Instantly know what is happening in the field with peer-to-peer messaging, chat and session status alerts.
Between the therapist interface, Ana with her therapist-assist features and the Captain’s console, you’ll never need to touch NeuroGuide on a remote computer.
Widen your reach, expand your practice.
The way neurofeedback is being delivered is changing fast. We’ve all seen the rapid shift to remote and home training.
Remote sessions are more convenient and cost-effective for clients, so naturally that’s where the market is heading. We all need to change the way we work if we’re going to stay ahead of the curve.
In our practice, we use it for flawless remote training. We offer remotely operated sessions live with a therapist or remotely monitored sessions run by Ana.
- Clients can have their sessions across town or across the country.
- In-clinic you can easily monitor and control multiple training rooms from one central desk.
- Support for clinics, teams, doctor’s offices, perfect for those who want to offer neurofeedback in their practice but don’t have the time to learn the intricacies of designing protocols themselves.
- For field research situations where large numbers of brain maps need to be gathered smoothly by a beginner.
- A mobile mapping platform to guide protocols for home consumer headsets, Myndlift systems, etc.
