This course provides the accredited 36 hours for BCIA didactic. It will cover instrumentation and train on state of the art equipment, Thought Technology Infinity, MindMedia NeXus, EEGer and BrainMaster Atlantis. It is a 4-day F2F course that covers treatment protocols, history of neurotherapy and operant conditioning, ethical considerations and basic neuroscience. This course is essential training for anyone who wishes to incorporate neurotherapy into his or her practice.

 

This course is considered to be introductory to the theory and history of the use of operant conditioning or neurofeedback. While it provides 36 intense hours of learning, the student with no prior experience in neurofeedback will need further mentorship to gain confidence in working with this modality and to fulfill the BCIA practical requisite. This course fulfills the didactic requisite for the BCIA certification, which requires said hours and the passing of an exam, along with other educational and professional minimum requirements. You can find more about the BCIA certification HERE.

 

Instructor: Cynthia Kerson, PhD | More about Dr. Kerson HERE
Hong Kong Coordinator: Davis Lak, MPhil, ACT, BCN, GHR Reg

 

Dates: January 29, 2015 - February 01, 2015

 

LOCATION: 19B Kyoto Commercial Centre, 491-499 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

 

 

Practice Gap:

Neurofeedback is an up and coming modality that utilizes operant conditioning to regulate brain state. It is a form of applied psychophysiology – a union of psychology and physiology. There are many research publications showing efficacy with ADHD, seizure disorders, substance abuse, autistic spectrum disorders, mild traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder, to name a few. A medical and/or psychological practitioner may, under the scope of his or his supervisor’s license, practice this intervention. It is essential that the practitioner gains full knowledge of the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological features of the brain sites being trained and understands the likely objective and subjective reactions.  A medical professional would be brought to current knowledge about psychological implications and a psychologist would be brought to current understanding about physiological issues.

 

References:

Arns, M., de Ridder, S., Strehl, U., Breteler, M., Coenen, A. (2009). Efficacy of neurofeedback

treatment of ADHD: The effects on attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity: A meta-analysis. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience:40 (3). 179-189.

 

Sherlin, L., Arns, M., Lubar, J., Heinrich, H., Kerson, C., Strehl, U., Sterman, M. B.

(2011). Neurofeedback and Basic Learning Theory: Implications for research and the clinic. J. Neurotherapy:15(4). 292-304.

 

Sterman, M. B. (1976). Effects of brain surgery and EEG operant conditioning on seizure latency

            following Monomethelhydrazine intoxication in the cat. Experimental Neurology:50, 757-765.

 

Thompson, M. & Thompson, L. (2005). Neurofeedback intervention for adult ADHD. Journal of Adult

            Development:12 (2/3). 123-130.

 

Educational need:

Improved understanding of the psychological and physiological implications of brain wave biofeedback (neurofeedback), improved understanding of treatment protocol selection, improved understanding of the treatment setting and improved understanding of the outcomes desired.

 

 

Abstract: This 4-day F2F workshop, which is a 26-hour section of the full 36-hour BCIA didactic course for certification in neurofeedback, discusses the concepts of the origins, learning principles, best training protocols, and treatment plans for specific presentations for neurofeedback and neuromodulatory approaches. This course will also demonstrate EEG recording and training procedures with state of the art instrumentation and will prepare the clinician for providing neurofeedback in his practice.

 

 

9 objectives for this 4-day course:

1. The attendee will gain a foundational knowledge of the history, development and relevant research relating to the emergence of electroencephalography (EEG) and subsequent EEG operant conditioning.
2. When brain training, it is fundamental to understand the structure and behaviors of the brain at the cellular level. This course introduces the concepts of neurophysiology and neuroanatomy and how they are important to the attendee in developing neurofeedback treatment plans.
3. The attendee will be oriented to the nature of operant conditioning and its applications with neurofeedback, neuromodulation, to provide a mechanism for which the attendee can rely while training the client.
4. The instructor will provide practical training to facilitate an understanding of the equipment, electronic and instrumentation concepts so the actual EEG acquisition is without artifact and provides clean recording.
5. Demonstration and trainings with neurofeedback instrumentation will be provided in small group settings. This is to build confidence in the psychologist’s ability to manipulate the equipment and to provide safety guidelines for the attendee while training the client.
6. Understanding how the brain interacts with medications and how these interactions affect EEG measure is vital. Many clients appear medicated and/or ascertain new prescriptions while undergoing neurofeedback training. The attendee will understand these mechanisms better.
7. Because there are ethical issues specific to neuromodulation and brain training, the instructor will discuss them to better prepare the attendee.
8. Because there are relevant clinical populations and non-candidates for neurofeedback training, the attendee will be briefed on how to discern them. Additionally, the best protocols, based upon the QEEG and their presentation, will be discussed.
9. The attendee will be better prepared to sit for the BCIA certification exam to show competence in this area of treatment.

 

 

TO PURCHASE Click Here

 

 

 

 

COURSE OUTLINE

 

 

*There is a 2-hour lab time required in addition to the times outlined below that will be completed during the lunch breaks and/or evenings. We will determine the time during the first day’s orientation.

 

DAY 1– 9 Hours

 

INTRODUCTIONS

8:00-8:30am (.5 hour)

            Brief orientation and introductions from the instructor and attendees. Course overview, lab time and BCIA certification requirements.

 

1A: OPERANT CONDITIONING IN NEUROFEEDBACK Part 1 of 2

8:30-10:30 (2 hours)

(Obj 1, 3 and 9); BCIA Blueprint area I

The instructor will provide a review of the discovery of surface electrical potentials from the brain first by Caton in animals and then by Berger in humans, opening the door to a relatively rapid development of the EEG field in basic science and medicine. Discuss how parallel development of behavioral conditioning methods by the work of Thorndike, Skinner, and Hull provided the foundation for operant conditioning of the EEG once technology had developed the necessary tools. Review the development of biofeedback training concepts and technical requirements.

 

BREAK

10:30-10:45 (.25 hour)

 

1B: OPERANT CONDITIONING IN NEUROFEEDBACK Part 2 of 2

10:45-12:45 (2 hours)

(Obj 1, 3 and 9); BCIA Blueprint area I

The instructor will continue with a discussion of learning theory, specifically classical and operant conditioning and how these learning models relate to neurofeedback training and shaping, including generalization, habituation and extinction. This section will conclude with discussion about basic, underlying physiological and cognitive stress models.

 

LUNCH

12:45-1:45 (1 hour)

 

1C: NEUROMODULATORY APPROACHES

1:45-3:45 (2 hours)

(Obj 1, 8 and 9); BCIA blueprint area IX

The field of neurotherapy is young and ever changing. This section includes discussion of current trends in neurotherapy including z-score and LORETA and combining with physiological modalities such as heart rate variability. It also provides a survey lecture of the most common, both historical and modern neurofeedback, entrainment and stimulation protocols available as well as their intended and expected results based upon the presentation and goals of the client.

 

BREAK

3:45-4:00 (.25 hour)

 

1D: EEG CLIENT SESSION PREPARATION AND TRAINING PRACTICUM Focus/attention/SMR Training

4:00-6:00 (2 hours)

(Obj 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9); BCIA blueprint area VIII

The instructor will demonstrate hooking up and preparing, coaching and finalizing a neurofeedback session with a volunteer from the group. Then the attendees will break into hands-on small-group neurofeedback training sessions. There will be a “clinician” and “client” and observers in each group. Each attendee will have an opportunity to role play and/or observe the actual process of hooking up and providing neurofeedback training along with any assessment interview to determine the best protocol.

 

GROUP BCIA REVIEW QUIZ COMPLETION

6:00-6:30 (.5 hour)

(Obj 9); BCIA blueprint area I (.5 hours)

Q&A period and daily test review

 

 

DAY 2– 8.5 hours

 

2A: NEUROANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY:  Part 1

(2 hour)

8:30-10:30 (Obj 2 and 9) BCIA blueprint area III

The neurofeedback clinician must be aware of the biological origin of the EEG signal, anatomy and function of the brain to be sure she is training based upon an understanding of the function that the neurotherapy is effecting. This section will discuss the brain lobes, their anatomical and functional aspects as well as the neuronal actions the EEG records such as Hebbian plasticity and long term potentiation.

 

BREAK

10:30-10:45 (.25 hour)

 

2B: NEUROANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY:  Part 2

10:45-12:45 (2 hour)

(Obj 2 and 9) BCIA blueprint area III

This section will continue with discussion of Brodmann areas, the concept of networks, neuroplasticity and cortical and subcortical events based upon LORETA analysis and training.

 

LUNCH

 12:45-1:45 (1 hour)

 

2C: RESEARCH AND EFFICACY ISSUES

1:45-3:45 (2 hours)

(Obj 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9); BCIA blueprint area VII

                  The efficacy guidelines that were developed by Yucha, Montgomery and Gilbert will be reviewed. Publications that help guide the clinician to determine efficacy levels of training paradigms will be provided as well as a review of the historical and landmark publications within the field.

 

BREAK

3:45-4:00 (.25 hour)

 

2D: VIDEO: Medication Effects On The EEG Jay Gunkelman

4:00-6:00 (2 hours)

(Obj 6 and 9); BCIA blueprint area V

            The neurofeedback clinician should be aware of psychopharmacological effects on the EEG. This section will discuss prescription, as well as nonprescription, medications that are commonly administered to persons seeking neurotherapy because the presence, as well as the titration or increase of them will affect the EEG. Discussion of how he EEG will change as the neurotherapy proceeds will also be had. After viewing this 1.5 hr video, discussion will be had.

 

Q&A

6:00-6:30 (.5 hour)

(Obj 9); BCIA blueprint area I (.5 hours)

Q&A period and daily test review

 

 

DAY 3– 8.5 Hours

 

3A: BIOELECTRICAL CONCEPTS AND ELECTRONICS, IMPEDANCE AND ARTIFACTS:  Part 1

8:30-10:30(2 hour)

(Obj 4 and 9) BCIA blueprint area III

This section will familiarize the attendee with the electronics and instrumentation used to facilitate neurofeedback. This will include Ohms’ law, EEG impedance measures, analog and digital recording, the 10-20 International System for site location and some impedance and artifact issues. Examples of EEG artifact will also be presented.

Review of the terminology associated with EEG instrumentation and data collection. Discuss referencing issues, including basic linked-ear reference and mathematically corrected common average Laplacian reference methods. Explain the basis for common-mode-rejection circuit in EEG amplifiers and resulting distortions of rhythmic EEG voltages at sites near earlobe reference electrodes. Show related distortion of topographic findings due to earlobe corruption from propagated dominant frequency activity.

 

BREAK

10:30-10:45 (.25 hour)

 

3B: BIOELECTRICAL CONCEPTS AND ELECTRONICS, IMPEDANCE AND ARTIFACTS:  Part 2

10:45-11:45 (1 hour)

(Obj 4 and 9) BCIA blueprint area III

In this section, the instructor will present EEG records to instruct about the differences between magnitude, power, and logrhythmic FFT outcome values and their effects on the probability requirements of parametric statistical analyses. Describe FFT spectral analysis parameters affecting outcomes, including epoch duration, sampling rates and windowing methods. Demonstrate artifact removal methods. Stress the importance of competent (less than 10K) impedance levels for electrode placements, and the noise and signal-noise consequence of sloppy electrode attachment.

 

3C: NEUROIMAGING TOOLS

11:45-12:45 (1 hour)

(Obj 4, 8 and 9) BCIA blueprint area III

The EEG is one pf many neuroimaging tools. The neurofeedback clinician should be aware of their use, what they measure, and how they compare to the EEG and its interpretation strategies. This section is a survey of the most common current imaging devices, what they do, how they compare to the EEG and what value they have to the neurofeedback clinician in augmenting assessments.

 

 

LUNCH

12:45-1:45 (1 hour)

 

3D: VIDEO: Evidence-based Neurofeedback: Research Discoveries and Clinical Applications Barry Sterman, PhD

1:45-3:45 (2 hours)

(Obj 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9); BCIA blueprint area VII

                  This course will review the discovery and research evaluation of several EEG rhythms that are important to neurofeedback today.  Their relevance to clinical applications becomes apparent through an understanding of the neurocircuitry involved.  Disturbances of motor excitability, control, and regulation, as well as the cognitive and emotional deficits that can result will be a major focus.  Of equal importance is the proper analysis of the EEG manifestations related to these disorders with quantitative measures, and the appropriate therapeutic application of operant conditioning principles based on the results obtained.  Recent developments in our understanding of the way neurocircuitry is modified through experience will also be examined.

There will be a short discussion time at the end of the video.

 

BREAK

3:45-4:00 (.25 hour)

 

3E: EEG CLIENT PREPARATION AND TRAINING DEMONSTRATION AND PRACTICUM Alpha Theta Training

4:00-6:00 (2 hours)

(Obj 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9); BCIA blueprint area VI1

Alpha theta training is a much more subjective experience than most other forms of neurofeedback. The instructor will discuss the historical events, the complaints for which it is indicated, abreaction, the concept of cross-over and necessary psychotherapeutic skills for this type of training. The instructor will then demonstrate a typical alpha theta neurofeedback hook-up and session showing how to provide the optimal experience for this type of training. Finally, the attendees will break into small groups and practice being the “client,” “clinician” and observe.