Getting started with neurofeedback usually means having a measurement of one’s electrical brainwave activity, and there are a few ways to go about this. All involve individual electrodes that connect to the scalp and detect the very faint electrical signal that makes it through the skull. The difference is a matter of how those wires are constructed. They can be individually wired, or they can be connected in the form of a cap.

Many practitioners like caps, because there are advantages. Using a cap eliminates the need to know how to find precise spots on a person’s head, because the cap stretches tightly and approximates the right locations.  It also makes it easier for less-experienced technicians to do a good job. And, some people think that using an EEG cap makes one look more technical and professional.

However, I no longer use caps. The primary reason is that my clients never liked them, and I don’t think that people who are coming to my office to train their brains—especially if they need to calm their brains—need to be unhappy to make progress.  There were two key reasons why traditional gel caps were a problem:

• Gel-based caps can cause pain. I’ve had several clients come to me after being in other practices where the cap left angry, red dents in the person’s forehead. All caps fit tightly, and if left on for very long, just plain hurt. Worse, I’ve had clients who said that the syringes and probes for parting hair under the cap drew blood. There is no need for inflicting pain to do brain training.
• Gel-based caps are messy. Caps that use gel, like the red one in the photo, fit like a shower cap (this cap is loosely placed on a styrofoam head, so it does not fit as you see it here). The electrodes protrude below the cap onto the wearer’s scalp, and each electrode has a hole in which one uses a syringe to insert a conductive gel. Even if there is a rare person who doesn’t mind using these caps on a regular basis, the gel is sticky and must be removed with a shower. Going back to work or school after training is possible but made tricky by the gel.

There are also saline-based caps, which are still problematic but have fewer complaints. The saline cap I once used was made with neoprene, and the electrodes protruded below the cap, just like gel caps. One inserts saline into the electrode hole rather than gel, which eliminates the need for showers after brain training. The water just evaporates, and someone doing training can go on to other activities after their appointment with no grooming issues. And, of course, the neoprene caps for saline-based training also reduce if not eliminate the need to know how to apply the international 10-20 system that we use to find spots on the scalp. Despite the ease of use, though, saline caps fit just as tightly as caps that require gel, with the additional hassle of a strap that fits tightly under one’s chin. The clients I tried this with were not happy about how confining the chin strap felt for them, and they still didn’t like having electrodes press into their scalp.

So, I got rid of my caps and now exclusively use electrodes. The electrodes I use require a water-soluble paste but do not need a tight-fitting cap. I use cotton balls with a little rubbing alcohol on them after sessions to remove as much of the paste residue as I can. It takes the same amount of time for me to use electrodes as the caps required, and people leave my office able to be in public without anyone wondering what happened to their hair. The caps may look more technologically advanced, but they function exactly the same as an electrode in that they detect the brain’s electrical signal and transmit it to an amplifier.

The most important part of my decision to stop using caps is that my clients experience no pain or discomfort from doing brain training with me.  No pain, no gain is just not a thing in my office.