It's really all up to you.
You can purchase the neurofeedback equipment direct from the manufacturers if you want to do it yourself on the cheap (see our
resources page for links to some manufacturers), but then you need to learn how to operate it effectively and learn to interpret the output streams and know how to adjust the programming for the epilepsy protocols (although some of the studies I referenced in
the other neurofeedback thread claim that the protocol itself is not so important).
It took about 5-6 months before Stacy realized tangible results from the training. Her doctor recommended periodic follow-ups (like once a month), but we didn't oblige. The effects of the training seemed pretty permanent to us until she delivered our first child roughly four years after her last neurofeedback session.
Neurofeedback is a method of training the brain to function with normalized brain wave patterns (alpha, beta, delta, theta, etc.). When Stacy started out, her brain wave patterns were way out of whack. The neurofeedback helped her brain learn to operate within ranges that are considered normal for most people and when she did, her seizure activity (especially absense seizures) abated.
There are several different neurofeedback machine manufacturers. Stacy used the Nuerocare Pro the first time around when she had a lot of success. She had to have EEG leads glued to her scalp with a toothpaste like glue which feeds a computer with data regarding her brain activity. The Neurocare pro generated auditory tones when she would get her brain waves in line with the programmed goals. She basically played Tetris (unrelated to the Neurocare Pro) to help keep her mind focused, but relaxed and tried to maintain the tones as much as possible.
There are other neurofeedback systems, but they all basically operate on the same principles.
