These neurotech devices It can also be wired or wireless, with the latter using Bluetooth technology to relay data to a nearby device. The latter class refers to electrodes that require a conducting substance (e.g., gel, saline or water-based EEGs). Additionally, the electrodes may be dry or wet. Beyond that, however, its technical features can vary tremendously.įor example, whereas research and clinical grade tools can have as many as 64 electrodes, consumer devices may comprise as few as three sensors placed in specific brain areas. In all cases, electrodes are attached to your scalp and the process sheds light on the electrical activity in your brain. ( Pathirana 2018 Grummett 2015) As such, prospective customers should apply a healthy dose of skepticism to any seemingly-outlandish marketing claims.Īs we have seen, the term EEG can refer to a wide range of products and practices. Products in this category vary dramatically with respect to reliability and cost. There now exists dozens of brain wearables, with applications ranging from neurofeedback to hands-free gaming. The past decade has seen major growth in the consumer neurotech industry. Further, there exists substantial momentum in the field of recreational BCIs, which would allow healthy users to control a computer screen using thought alone. EEG BCIs create a direct connection between the brain and some sort of external device, such as a computer or a robotic arm, granting new levels of control to paralyzed users. This can be achieved via what is known as a brain-computer interface, or BCI, which translates the brain’s electrical signals into action. Increasingly, researchers are looking to EEG not just to diagnose disorders, but to restore function in individuals suffering from paralysis or neurodegenerative disease, or to enhance existing human capabilities. Likewise, some social psychologists use EEG results to augment analysis of group behavior and social cognition. Cognitive psychologists, for instance, frequently use EEG to investigate neural correlates of basic cognitive functions, such as emotion, language, attention, and learning.
Indeed, the technology has been used to explore brain function for nearly a century, and has been applied across diverse corners of psychology and neuroscience. In addition to its diagnostic potential, EEG has tremendous research value.
There are no side effects associated with EEG tests. For example, you may be asked to wash your hair prior to the visit, as styling products can interfere with scalp recordings.
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If you receive medical advice to undergo this type of evaluation, you should follow your doctor’s instructions regarding how to prepare for an EEG. In the future, EEG may be used to assist in the diagnosis of other disorders, including depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia-though work in this area currently remains experimental. This process may be supplemented with an EEG study, though the best biomarker for diagnosis remains a matter of contention ( Amadou 2020, Kiiski 2019, Saad 2015) Here, it should be noted that electroencephalography alone cannot diagnose ADHD and such tests should always be coupled with a more exhaustive evaluation. Physicians typically diagnose ADHD, like other psychiatric disorders, through a clinical interview. Researchers are now exploring the potential of EEG to augment the diagnosis of certain psychiatric conditions, such as ADHD. While sleep and seizure diagnosis are the most common clinical uses of EEG, they are by no means the only ones. ( Campbell 2010) By evaluating EEG test results, researchers can therefore determine sleep quality and diagnose related disorders.
Each phase of sleep is characterized by the emergence of particular brain wave patterns, with delta waves indicative of the deepest sleep. The diagnosis of sleep disorders represents another major application of EEG.