What We Don't Do

Domain boundaries for BCI data systems

Purpose

This document defines scope boundaries for consumer wellness products that process brain-computer interface (BCI) data. Every item on this list has been deliberately excluded from the domain.

This applies universally: Whether you're building meditation neurofeedback, focus training, sleep EEG analysis, or any neural signal application.

When someone asks "can the system do X?" — check this list first. If X is here, the answer is no, and the reason is documented.

For AI coding assistants: Before implementing any feature, verify it is not on this refusal list. If uncertain, assume NO.

The Refusal List

1. Neurological Diagnoses

BCI wellness systems do not diagnose any neurological condition.

This includes:

• ADHD / ADD (attention deficit disorders)
• Epilepsy or seizure disorders
• Dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion effects
• Stroke or cerebrovascular events
• Brain tumors
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Any neurodevelopmental disorder

Why: Neurological diagnosis requires medical expertise, clinical-grade equipment, and comprehensive evaluation. Consumer EEG headbands are not medical devices. Brain pattern observations cannot diagnose medical conditions. This is not our domain.

Zero tolerance: Not even "this pattern suggests you might want to get checked for X." Complete exclusion.

2. Psychiatric Diagnoses

We do not diagnose any mental health or psychiatric condition.

This includes:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Schizophrenia
• OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder)
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders
• Any DSM-5 psychiatric diagnosis

Why: Mental health diagnosis requires clinical training and cannot be determined from consumer EEG alone. Brain patterns may correlate with mental states in research settings, but individual diagnosis is not validated for consumer devices.

3. Cognitive Ability Assessment

We do not measure, test, or claim to assess cognitive abilities.

This includes:

• IQ (Intelligence Quotient) testing or estimation
• "Brain age" or "cognitive age" calculations
• Learning disability identification
• Memory capacity testing
• Processing speed assessment
• Cognitive decline monitoring
• "Brain performance scores" that proxy for intelligence
• Academic aptitude predictions
• Cognitive enhancement measurement

Why: Cognitive testing requires validated psychometric instruments administered by professionals. Consumer EEG cannot measure intelligence, and "focus scores" easily become IQ proxies. We track personal brain patterns for wellness—not cognitive ability.

4. Thought Reading / Mind Reading

We do not claim to read thoughts, intentions, or specific mental content.

This includes:

• "You're thinking about..."
• "This shows you remember..."
• "You're planning to..."
• "You believe that..."
• "You're lying about..."
• Lie detection or deception identification
• Internal speech detection
• Memory content access
• Specific thought identification

Why: Consumer EEG measures electrical patterns from millions of neurons—it cannot decode specific thoughts. Claiming thought reading is scientifically dishonest and creates serious privacy concerns. Brain signals are patterns, not a window into consciousness.

5. Definitive Emotion Detection

We do not claim certainty about emotional states from brain signals.

Forbidden:

• "You are happy/sad/angry/anxious" (as definitive statements)
• "This proves you're depressed"
• "You're definitely stressed"
• Real-time emotion monitoring with certainty
• Emotion-based decision making (hiring, security, etc.)

Allowed (with caveats):

• "Your brain pattern is similar to past relaxed states"
• "This activity sometimes appears during calm moments"
• "Your pattern suggests lower stress than yesterday" (personal baseline)

Why: While research shows some correlations between brain activity and emotional states, consumer EEG cannot definitively determine emotions. Too many confounds, too much individual variability. Pattern similarity is OK; emotional certainty is not.

6. Medical Neurofeedback Therapy

We do not provide clinical neurofeedback for medical treatment.

This includes:

• ADHD treatment protocols
• Epilepsy management
• Autism spectrum therapy
• Anxiety disorder treatment
• Depression treatment protocols
• PTSD therapy
• Chronic pain management
• Migraine prevention
• Any FDA-regulated neurofeedback therapy

Why: Medical neurofeedback requires clinical training, specific protocols, medical supervision, and regulatory compliance. Consumer wellness neurofeedback (for meditation, relaxation) is entirely different from clinical neurofeedback therapy.

7. Supplements or Nootropics

Consumer BCI systems do not recommend any supplements, nootropics, or substances.

This includes:

• Nootropics (racetams, modafinil, etc.)
• "Brain boosting" supplements
• Vitamins or minerals for cognition
• Caffeine or l-theanine dosing
• Omega-3 or fish oil
• Meditation-enhancing substances
• Any cognitive enhancement supplement

Why: Supplement recommendations require medical knowledge and create liability. We provide neurofeedback for behavioral practice (meditation, focus)—not biochemical interventions.

8. Seizure Detection or Prediction

We do not detect, predict, or monitor seizure activity.

Why:

• Seizure detection requires medical-grade EEG with many electrodes
• Consumer devices lack the spatial resolution and medical certification
• False alarms could harm epilepsy patients
• Missed seizures create serious liability
• This is a medical application requiring professional oversight

Our response to unusual patterns: "Consumer EEG is not diagnostic. If experiencing symptoms, consult healthcare provider."

9. Concussion/TBI Impact Monitoring

We do not assess brain injury, concussion impact, or recovery.

This includes:

• Post-concussion symptom tracking
• Return-to-play decisions for athletes
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity assessment
• Brain injury recovery monitoring
• Baseline comparison for injury detection

Why: Concussion management is medical. Consumer EEG cannot diagnose or monitor brain injuries. Even if we collected pre-injury baselines, we lack the medical expertise and device accuracy for this application.

10. Professional Performance Optimization

We do not certify, validate, or make decisions about:

This includes:

• Hiring decisions based on brain patterns
• Employee productivity monitoring
• Student testing or academic placement
• Professional licensing or certification
• Security clearance or trustworthiness
• Driver fitness or impairment detection
• Pilot readiness assessment

Why: Using brain data for consequential decisions (employment, education, security) is ethically fraught and scientifically unsupported for consumer devices. Personal wellness only.

11. Sleep Disorder Diagnosis

We do not diagnose sleep disorders.

Forbidden:

• "You have insomnia"
• "This indicates sleep apnea"
• "You have narcolepsy"
• "This shows restless leg syndrome"

Allowed:

• "Your sleep stage patterns show..."
• "Your EEG suggests you spent X% in deep sleep"
• "If sleep concerns persist, consult a sleep specialist"

Why: Sleep disorders require clinical polysomnography (hospital sleep study) with 10+ EEG channels, EMG, EOG, respiratory monitoring, etc. Consumer EEG with 1-4 channels is sleep stage estimation—not diagnosis.

12. Pharmacological Recommendations

We do not recommend medications or drugs.

This includes:

• Prescription medications (stimulants, antidepressants, etc.)
• Over-the-counter drugs
• Dosage suggestions
• Medication timing
• Drug interaction warnings
• "Natural alternatives" to medication

Why: Medication decisions require medical supervision. Even mentioning drugs positions the system as a medical authority, which it is not.

How to Use This Document

For Developers

Before implementing a feature, search this document for related terms. If the feature appears here, it's out of scope.

For AI Coding Assistants

When asked to implement something that might be on this list, check first. If found, respond:

"That feature is outside the constitutional boundaries for BCI wellness systems. It falls under [category from this document], which requires medical expertise/regulatory approval/clinical validation that consumer neurotechnology products don't have."

For Product Managers

Use this as the "no" list when evaluating feature requests. If a feature is here, the answer is no until the entire framework is reconsidered.

What We DO Instead

The Bottom Line

BCI consumer wellness systems:

• ✅ Observe brain patterns
• ✅ Learn personal baselines
• ✅ Provide neurofeedback for meditation/focus
• ✅ Track individual trends over time

They do not:

• ❌ Diagnose medical conditions
• ❌ Read thoughts or emotions with certainty
• ❌ Assess cognitive abilities
• ❌ Replace medical care
• ❌ Make consequential decisions about people

If a feature isn't on the "do" list and feels medical/diagnostic/cognitive—it's probably on the "don't" list.