Neurofeedback helmets for use with the various mainstream game consoles.
Smartbrain Technologies, Emotiv Systems and NeuroSky are three young companies in a vanguard that is adapting a relatively old concept to transport the measurement of brain waves (neurofeedback) from the medical sphere into the realm of computer games. The technology is already getting a lot of attention from the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) community (and that wholly accidental pun/oxymoron speaks volumes) as well as memory clinics for executives and seniors. Lynda Thompson, director of the ADD Centre and Biofeedback Institute in Mississauga, Ont. explains that children have been told to “pay attention” their entire lives without actually knowing what that means. In one study she conducted using neurofeedback on 111 ADD subjects, their IQ’s climbed an average of 12 points, poor readers advanced four grade levels and, most importantly, 79% of the Ritalin users stopped medication completely. Bottom line: Anything that educates the kids and lets them have fun in the process while, at the same time, reducing dependency on drugs can’t be bad and deserves my vote for innovation of the year.