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I am a PhD student at the University of East Anglia, supervised by Dr Rutterford and Professor Corr.

My research is examining the effectiveness of neurofeedback home training on concentration abilities, impulsiveness and response to rewards.

Neurofeedback is a form of brain wave training, whereby the individual is stimulated to optimise the activity of particular brainwaves via visual and/or auditory reinforcement on a computer. Neurofeedback has been shown to successfully improve attention, behavioural control and peak performance in typical individuals as well being an alternative to traditional medication treatments for conditions such as ADHD.

My study is examining the effect of neurofeedback home training on concentration abilities in typical children, and is looking to recruit children aged between 7 and 17 with no clinical diagnosis.

If you would like to take part, you can decide whether you would like to receive neurofeedback, be in the control group (receive nothing) or active control group (BBC bitesize activities). If you are in the neurofeedback group, the research is mainly computer based at home and I will have regular email contact with you. However, whatever group you are in, I would need to meet you and your child on two occasions.

I would ask to meet with you and your child at the Learning Assessment and Neurocare Centre in Horsham for approximately 2.5 - 3 hours. During this time your child would complete a QEEG (brain wave reading) that takes an hour, a 10 minute computer concentration test and a paper questionnaire. I would also email you, and with consent your child's teacher, a questionnaire to complete. If you would like to receive neurofeedback, I ask that you bring a laptop (not an Apple Mac) with you. I would then install software on your laptop and show you how to do a neurofeedback session at home and provide you with written instructions and the equipment you need.

You would then, at home complete one of the following:
1. Neurofeedback group - at home, the child will complete 30 neurofeedback sessions (twice a week for 15 weeks), each session taking approximately 40 minutes. During a session, the child will complete 3 10 minute activities; pacman, boxes and video, supervised by a parent. To get each of the games working, the child needs to sit still and concentrate on getting the game running. If the child becomes distracted, the game shall stop. Therefore, the game working is reinforcing the brainwave activity they are producing while concentrating in addition to reinforcing that behaviour. After each session, you will email this to me and I will email you with a progress update after every two session (once a week).
Or
2. Active control group – at home, the child will complete 30 BBC bitesize sessions (twice a week for 15 weeks), each session taking 20 minutes, supervised by a parent. During a session, the child will complete activities of their choice on the BBC bitesize website.
Or
3. Control group – the family will not complete any additional tasks for 15 weeks.

After 15 weeks of neurofeedback at home and having email contact, receiving nothing (control group) or active control group, you would meet with me again at the Learning Assessment and Neurocare Centre in Horsham for approximately 2 hours. During this time your child would complete another QEEG (brain wave reading) that takes an hour, a 10 minute computer concentration test and a paper questionnaire. I would also email you and the teacher a questionnaire to complete.

This research has been approved by the University of East Anglia.

A families involvement in this study would be of significant value as the findings will hopefully benefit the understanding and progression of neurofeedback as well as developing non-medical treatment in the field of conditions involving attention difficulties. I would also hope that neurofeedback helps your child's concentration, although I cannot guarantee this.

If you would like more information about this research, or are interested in being involved, I would happily arrange a meeting to discuss this further with you. Please contact me on 07934304673 or H.Wachnianin@uea.ac.uk.