NeurOptimal® at Home Rental Support
Received your rental and ready to get started? Below is an easy-to-follow guide for running your home neurofeedback sessions.
Need extra help? Reach out to your rental manager or use the chat widget in lower right corner. Just add your name and state so we can better assist you.
Watch YouTube Video: What is included in your rental.
Table of Contents
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These documents are exclusively for Neurofeedback Training Co. Rental Clients.
Before Your First NeurOptimal® Session, You'll Need…
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Your own headphones or earbuds (no wireless headphones). Or play the sound through the tablet's speaker. Both options are equally effective.
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Your Wi-fi login information. The NeurOptimal® 3.0 software, requires a high-speed internet connection for it to work properly. Please make sure to connect the system to wi-fi and also use the system once per week.
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Wet-wipes or damp paper towel. To wipe off the paste and clean the sensors afterwards.
- Time and Patience. Before your first session, we recommend reading through the manual before starting and allow about one hour total time to complete a session. The program is 33 minutes long. It takes about 5-10 minutes to learn how to apply the sensors.
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STEP 1:
Fill out a Checklist
The Personal Checklist is used to track your progress
We strongly recommend all renters fill out our Checklist Form prior to starting and then again, after every 8 sessions. By checking back regularly you create helpful feedback for your brain training process. For example, when clients see their 10 rating for "Feel Anxious" turn into a 4 after a few weeks of training, it is a like mirror that shows your progress.
DOWNLOAD: 
There are a total of five EEG sensors to set up. NeurOptimal® 3.0 targets 20 different sets of frequencies across the right and left brain, each target naturally balancing off the effects of others. Apply just enough conductive paste to cover the end tips of the sensors. Have a wet-wipe or damp paper towel in handy!
DOWNLOAD Step by Step Sensor Guide: 
Step-by-step Guide on How To Apply The Sensors
Connect the zAmp (the rectangular device that has the 5 sensors) with the USB cable and into the tablet- Place the zAmp where you will be working with it, clipped to the front or back of a shirt or back of a chair is common. In the beginning it may help to watch yourself in the mirror when applying and removing the sensors (just remember to connect the USB cord to the tablet before starting a session).
- Scoop the conductive paste onto sensors so the paste is covering the inner tip on both sides, without touching the paste with your fingers. When scooping paste put your forefinger on the back of the cup for support, preventing bending and possible sensor damage.
- Squeeze the BLUE SENSOR clip onto the top of the right ear. Apply paste in the same way to the BLACK SENSOR clip (this is the only black sensor that is located on right ear), and gently squeeze onto the ear lobe. No need to remove earrings, just make sure the paste is not touching them. It is ok to adjust clip positioning to work around them.
- Pick up the YELLOW SENSOR and cover just enough paste on the plate. If you slide your fingers over the scalp about halfway point between the top of the ear and the top of the head, you will feel a bump with a dip right above it. That dip is your spot! If you can't find it no worries, just as long as it is halfway it's a good spot. Please note: NeurOptimal uses C3 and C4 - ie: the midpoints on each side of the head between the top of the ear and the top of the head. If you get them close to those points, then there is no “wrong place”.
- Part the hair as much as possible and apply the sensor – you may feel the coolness of the paste. It's ok if the hair is not fully removed. Repeat the YELLOW SENSOR and BLUE SENSOR on the left side (it's only the right ear that you'll have an extra sensor).
Now you're ready to start the session!
How to open the program and start a session.
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Tap with your finger on the NeurOptimal® logo icon at the bottom of the Tablet to open the program. (Make sure the tablet is hooked up to internet first).
- After opening up the program, a Vault Window (or dashboard) will appear. This Vault is the hub of the software and where you will start your session from.
- If it is your first session, enter your name. Double tap on the blue bar that says "Client." In the window that appears next please fill out your first and last name or your initials (no need to fill out anything else). Can't type? Locate the keyboard icon in the bottom right corner. Please note: only enter a name once and do not start a session under "Digit Al" (this is the default name which is used for quality control).
- Already entered your name but cannot find it? Tap on "All" at the bottom of the Vault Window (or locate the first initial of your last name in the alphabet).
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- Next, tap on your name to highlight it first (name will appear with a blue background and white text). Double tap your name and the session will start. One can also tap and hold with your finger on your name and choose "Start a Session" in the dropdown menu that appears. See screenshot below.
Good to Know: You know a session is in progress because...
- The green light on the side of the zAmp is turned on (if it is not, start the session again and/or reboot tablet)
- You'll hear music and also the skips/pauses in music through your headphones (or the sound streaming from the tablet)
- The timer in the smaller Vault window is counting down from 33 minutes
Time to relax! Close your eyes, (sleep is encouraged), or read a book. It's also ok to talk while in session. Please note, there is no need to watch the screen images. The primary feedback is via audio. Once the session is over the music will stop.
STEP 5: Close The Program
Shut down the tablet and clean the Sensors
When it's over, the music will stop – you are done with the session!
Close the program then gently clean the sensors carefully after each use with wet wipes or in running warm water (make sure to dry them afterwards)! Any lingering paste can cause corrosion and will reduce the lifespan of your sensors. Do not soak in water.
Shut down the tablet when not in use afterwards and store it safely away, preferably in the case it came with.
Please no drinks or food around the machine and keep it clean!
Commonly Asked Questions Setting Up A Session At Home
What if I apply the sensors to the wrong place?
NeurOptimal uses C3 and C4 - ie: the midpoints on each side of the head between the top of the ear and the top of the head. If you get them close to those points, then there is no “wrong place”.
What's the purpose of the music?
How neurofeedback works is actually not about the particular sound or sight but rather how the orienting or “pay attention to yourself” response of the brain gets triggered by stopping the music or visual display. We are “bio-hacking” by interrupting the habitual patterns through the use of the brain’s natural information gathering process, the orienting response. It’s triggered by interrupting the music which triggers the awareness response of the automatic functioning CNS to come into the present moment . This serves as an opportunity for the mal-adaptive habits, such as constantly being in a state of stress, to be revealed.
So while there is the necessity for sound it’s not the particulars of it, that make the neurofeedback work. It the interruption process at the exact millisecond the brain is about to change states (read by the electrical patterning) and perform an action that is key for the ‘feedback.’
Is it OK if I do other things while training such as read, talk or play games on iPad, etc.?
Yes! The NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback Trainer does not require you to place your attention on the training screen in order to run a successful session. The feedback comes primarily through interruptions in the music/audio. If you can hear the music, then the training session will be successful. You can read, sleep, meditate, whatever you feel inclined to do.
Why do I hear the interruptions (feedback) even if the sensors are not placed on my scalp and ears?
How to Login to NeurOptimal's Remote Tech Support (ZenConnect)
If having issues with the system and a simple restart doesn't help a login to a remote tech support is necessary. Watch this brief video below to learn how to login. This how to video is only for Neurofeedback Training Co.. home renters.
Check our step-by-step guide for login and directions and please notify your rental manager of the issue to put the rental on hold for 1 day. Please note; NeurOptimal ZenConnect is not open on weekends. Best times to logon are mornings.
