Quick Reference

START: New BCI feature request
│
├─ Does it diagnose brain/mental conditions? ──YES──> ❌ STOP
├─ Does it claim thought/emotion reading? ──YES──> ❌ STOP
├─ Does it assess cognitive abilities? ──YES──> ❌ STOP
├─ Does it collect neural data without consent? ──YES──> 🔄 ADD consent flow
├─ Does it compare to population norms? ──YES──> 🔄 CHANGE to personal baseline
├─ Does it need personal baseline? ──YES──> ✓ Ensure 30-90 day gate
│                                   └─NO──> ❌ ADD baseline requirement
│
└─ Proceed with ✅ SAFE implementation

START: User-facing message about brain activity
│
├─ Contains: "ADHD", "epilepsy", "autism", "dementia" ──YES──> ❌ REMOVE
├─ Contains: "thought", "feeling", "emotion" (as certainty) ──YES──> 🔄 REVISE to pattern
├─ Contains: "IQ", "intelligence", "cognitive ability" ──YES──> ❌ REMOVE
├─ Contains: "diagnose", "disorder", "condition" ──YES──> ❌ REMOVE
├─ Says "you are [mental state]" ──YES──> 🔄 CHANGE to "pattern shows"
├─ Compares to population average ──YES──> 🔄 CHANGE to personal baseline
├─ Includes privacy explanation ──NO──> 🔄 ADD consent context
├─ Includes "not medical advice" disclaimer ──NO──> 🔄 ADD disclaimer
│
└─ ✅ SAFE to display

// ✅ CORRECT
function generateNeurofeedback(user, eegData) {
  // Must have 30-90 days of personal brain pattern data
  if (user.bciBaselineStatus !== 'STABLE') {
    return null; // Silent during learning phase
  }
  
  // Now safe to compare to personal baseline
  const alphaDeviation = eegData.alphaPower / user.personalBaseline.alphaPower;
  
  if (alphaDeviation > 1.2) {
    return "Your alpha wave activity is elevated, similar to your relaxed states.";
  }
}
 
// ❌ WRONG
function generateNeurofeedback(user, eegData) {
  // Immediate feedback without baseline - DANGEROUS
  if (eegData.alphaPower > 50) { // Population threshold
    return "You're feeling very relaxed right now."; // Claims emotion
  }
}

// ✅ CORRECT
const isSignificantDeviation = 
  user.currentBetaWaves < user.personalBaseline.betaWaves * 0.8;
 
// ❌ WRONG
const isSignificantDeviation = 
  user.currentBetaWaves < 15; // population threshold - FORBIDDEN

// ✅ CORRECT message structure
{
  title: "Brain Pattern Update", // Neutral, not diagnostic
  body: `Your ${brainwave} activity has been ${deviation_observation} compared to your recent baseline. 
         This pattern sometimes appears during ${behavioral_context}. 
         ${optional_suggestion}. 
         Based on your personal brain patterns. Not medical advice.`,
  tone: "neutral",
  privacyNote: "Your neural data is private and encrypted."
}
 
// ❌ WRONG message structure
{
  title: "Warning: Cognitive Impairment Detected", // Diagnostic + alarmist
  body: `Your brain waves indicate ADHD. You should see a neurologist immediately.`,
  tone: "urgent" // Never use urgent for brain patterns
}

// ✅ CORRECT
async function startBrainRecording(device, user) {
  if (!user.neuralDataConsentGiven) {
    const consent = await showDetailedConsentDialog({
      whatWeCollect: "EEG brainwave data (alpha, beta, theta, delta frequencies)",
      whyWeCollect: "To learn your personal brain patterns and provide neurofeedback",
      whatWeDontDo: [
        "Read your thoughts or emotions",
        "Make medical diagnoses",
        "Share data without permission"
      ],
      retention: "90 days, deletable anytime",
      encryption: "End-to-end encrypted"
    });
    
    if (!consent.accepted) return { status: "declined" };
    user.neuralDataConsentGiven = true;
  }
  
  return await device.startEEGStream();
}
 
// ❌ WRONG
async function startBrainRecording(device) {
  return await device.startEEGStream(); // No consent!
}

// ✅ CORRECT response to anomaly
function handleUnusualBrainPattern(eegData, user) {
  return {
    message: `We're noticing an unusual pattern in your brain activity that's outside your typical range.
    
              Consumer EEG devices are not medical-grade diagnostic tools. This might be a sensor placement issue.
              
              If you're experiencing any symptoms (headache, dizziness, confusion, vision changes), please consult a healthcare professional.
              
              Try adjusting the device and see if the pattern normalizes.`,
    suggestedAction: "reposition_device",
    calmTone: true, // Never alarmist
    disclaimer: "Not medical advice. Consumer EEG is not diagnostic."
  };
}
 
// ❌ WRONG response
function handleUnusualBrainPattern(eegData) {
  return {
    message: "WARNING: Seizure activity detected! Seek emergency medical attention immediately!",
    urgency: "critical"
  }; // Claims diagnosis, creates panic, inappropriate for consumer device
}