What do we measure with EEG and MEG?

What do we measure with EEG?

Xavier de Tiege Isabell Zlobinski 03/05/06

Characteristics of the EEG

Localize neural electric activity using non-invasive measurements Measures electric potential differences between pairs of scalp electrodes Temporal precision

Rhythmic fluctuations in voltage Standard time interval: cycles per second = hertz (Hz) Amplitude in microvolts (V)

The EEG Frequency Spectrum

Waves
Beta-waves

Frequencies Amplitude in Characteristics per second V

14 - 30 5 - 50, Sharp spike-waves over 35 Hz, mostly below 30 Frontocentral, precentral & posterior Criteria of light sleep stages 5 - 120, Posterior-dominant, awake, eyes mostly below 50 closed, mental inactivity, physical relaxation 20 - 100 Strictly rhythmic or highly irregular Awake & drowsiness or light sleep stages Abnormality in waking adults, Accompaniment of deep sleep Legality of appearance and site not well established

Alpha-waves

8 - 13

Theta-waves

4-7

Delta-waves

0,5 - 3

5 - 250

Gammawaves

31 - 60

-10

The EEG Frequency Spectrum

Recording EEG

EPSP at apical dentritic trees of pyramid cells Dentritic membrane depolarized Potential difference cause a current flow through volume conductor from the nonexited membrane of the soma to the apical dentritic tree Extracellular currents = secondary / volume currents

Recording EEG

The EEG machine

8 64 identical channels recording simultaneously from as many different pairs of electrodes

Electrodes & electrode board Amplifiers Filters Pen & chartdrive (screen)

When do we use EEG?

Sleep research Clinical diagnosis Epileptic patients Sleep disorders Encephalopathies Biophysiologic research (e.g. evoked potentials) Cognitive research (e.g. ERPs)

Artifacts
Physiologic artifacts

Extraphysiologic artifacts

Eye movement Muscle activity ECG artifacts Skin artifacts

Electrodes Alternating current (60 Hz) artifact Movements in the enviroment

Event Related Potentials

Voltage fluctuations in cortex because of cognitive procedures or stimuli responses Designed by summation & averaging of event related EEG parts Waves described after polarity and latency (e.g. P300), method of release (mismatch negativity) and psychophysiological correlatives

ERPs failures & limits

Artifacts possible Difficult to analyse high complex cognitive procedures when stimuli need more time than 100 ms short ERP duration between individuals very variable depends on age combined from several spacial and temporal overlapping components low specificity

Evoked Potentials

Record of low amplitude potentials evoked by different types of sensory stimulus Voltage fluctuation is slow with a very small amplitude of the response (about 1/100 of spontaneous EEG activity) high amplification is essential Special computer averaging technic is required clinical diagnostic, neurophysiologic & cognitive research Visual evoked Potential Brainstem auditory evoked Potential Somatosensory evoked Potential

Sources

Duffy, Iyer, Surwillo (1989). Clinical Electroencephalography and Topographic Brain Mapping. Springer Verlag S. Baillet, J.C. Mosher, R.M. Leahy. (2001). Electromagnetic Brain Mapping. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. P 14-30. www.dkgn.de http://edoc.hu-berlin.de/dissertationen/eichholz-stephan-200410-22/HTML/chapter2.html http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic678.htm