How does the therapist to address desensitization?

In the process EMDR, the therapist works with the patient to identify a specific problem that will be the focus of treatment. The patient describes the traumatic incident, from which is helped by the therapist to select the most important aspects and that the distress of the incident more. While the patient makes eye movement (or any other bilateral stimulation) will come to mind other parts of the traumatic memory or other memories. The therapist interrupted eye movements every so often to make sure the patient is adequately processed. (Here comes in one of the improvements proposed in this project and described below (EEG biofeedback)

Bilateral stimulation can be:

a) Visual: the patient moves eyes side to side guided by the therapist

b) Hearing: the patient hears sounds alternately in both ears

c) Kinesthetic: the therapist gently taps and alternately on the hands or shoulders of the patient.

This facilitates the connection between the two cerebral hemispheres obtaining the information processing and decreased emotional burden.

Children approaching the beach in Indonesia after being treated with EMDR therapy after the Indian Ocean

Usage and Description of construction.

With a linear array of LEDs driven by the popular HCT4094 shift register, (plus a buffer driver ULN 2803) controlled by a Microchip microcontroller SPI you can get that light up sequentially (by program) from left to right and then from right to left.

This causes the patient to follow the luminous trail with eye movement to obtain bilateral visual stimulation.

With a stereo headset you can get the bilateral auditory stimulation if a channel every time it rings alternately.

With two boxes containing inside a motor buzzer (those used in Smartphone) can make alternately activated for bilateral tactile stimulation.

Finally to get to know the degree of compliance of the patient in applying the technique of the session can measure the response in the occipital region of the brain by EEG probe in the somatosensory brain for bilateral tactile stimulation area, and in the temporal lobes for bilateral auditory stimulation.

Background and Description of functionality:

My sister Regina Sandoval is Psychotherapist and she use EMDR technique in your sessions with their patients.

Because I am an engineer of electronic product development, she asked me in January 2015 to explore the possibility to design and manufacture a like existing commercial equipment that would allow you to use this technique in clinical electronic equipment.

I set to work first studying the state of the art and the ability to innovate in the realization of this device.

Initially the following requirements and functions described below for further design and manufacture is described.

The following paragraphs describe the functionality and specifications that should have the device and have served as a guide to design and manufacture the prototype, covering aspects of HW (envelope and electronics) and SW (functionality and code that implements it)

The project is to design a single controller on RGB LEDs 24 arranged in a horizontal line. In total there will therefore: 72 LEDs (24 red, 24 green and 24 blue) to be controlled by the SW + HW.

Funcionality description of EBC Device

Operating Modes of the visual stimulator.

Being arranged in a line of 24 four-color light spots (Red, Green, Blue and White as the sum of the three) can achieve the following modes:

- Operating mode 1:

They light up one by one from left to right speed constant. From the first to the last, and once it was on the last will turn in the opposite direction (from right to left) at the same speed

- Operating mode 2:

Light up just as in the previous case but a brief pause in the LEDs first and last. This pause will be fixed for each speed.

- Operating mode 3:

They will turn on only the first 2 of the left, then the two on the right, repeat the 2 on the left and so on.

To select any of the 3 modes be pressed 1, 2 or 3 times the button and go mode called mode indicator lighting by 3 green LEDs on the panel. When pressed a fourth time, this will push back the effect of mode 1 and back again.

Speed adjustment

In all three modes of operation it may regulate the speed of evolution of displacement in 10 steps and be represented by the vertical segments LED indicator called speed. To select the desired speed will be pressed on the upper button next to the indicator to increase and lower to decrease.

Adjusting the light intensity

You may also adjust the brightness of the LED bar in 10 steps and is represented by vertical indicator segments called intensity LEDs. To select the desired intensity will be pressed on the upper button next to the indicator to increase and lower to decrease.

Color Adjustment

The color can be selected from four possible: Blue, Red, Green and White, the latter obtained as a result of firing of the 3 simultaneously.

Pressing the button repeatedly on color selection, will go a LED lighting that show the color current show.

Using the device

To start a session using the device will proceed to make the speed settings, color, light intensity and operating mode desired for the session, according to the instructions described in the preceding paragraphs.

This adjustment process is called: programming mode

Once that has been done scheduling the meeting, it passed the check mode settings by pressing the START key.

If the result is not to your liking, you must press the STOP button and going back to the programming mode, returning to make the adjustments desired speed, intensity, etc.

If instead the mode selected if it were sought, and therefore meets the requirements pursued, also we would click the STOP button, but this time we would not press any key adjustment, thus leaving memorized the latest schedule, and waiting pressing the start key to start the session.

Even when the computer turns off the mains witch, they will be recorded adjustments that were selected for the last session, so that when you turn on the computer, the firs tsession always begins with the setting of the last session, however, if wanted to change the schedule, only have to act on any button adjustment, ie programming can be made to turnon the computer or by pressing the STOP button.

Peripherals Needed

1. Control panel and Panel indicator

Keyboard with 9-key for::

- Mode Selection

- Color Selection

- Brightness Selection

- Speed Selection

- KEY Increase

- KEY Decrease

- Watch adjust (previsualize)

- Start

- Stop

Panel indicator:

The panel have a LCD (2 row and 16 characteres) for show all states of work

2. Remote Control IR

It must have the 9 keys like in Control panel with similary funcionality.

3. To comunicate with Smarphone, a HC05 chip is incorporated as separated module

4. To store the "factoring setting" and the “operation setting”

The E2PROM of the micro computer be used, if there is insufficient a external E2PROM can be used.

5. By default will drive via USB to communicate with the PC.

6. Incorporate an mp3 audio module for audio stimuli.

7. Incorporate two smartphone like vibrator for both hand stimuli

8. All modules are inside a box designed for the system