EEG ELECTRODES

By

DR BALAJI B S

UNIT : PROF DR V
CHANDRAMOULEESWARAN

ROAD MAP

INTRODUCTION
GENERATOR OF EEG POTENTIALS
ELECTRODE BASICS
ELECTRODE TYPES
ELECTRODE PLACEMENT
ELECTRODE APPLICATION

INTRODUCTION

A conventional EEG recording is a

continuous graph, over time, of the spatial
distribution of changing voltage fields at
the scalp surface that result from ongoing
synaptic activity in the underlying cortex.

During an EEG test, small electrodes like

cup or disc type are placed on the scalp
They pick upthe brain's electrical signals
and send them to a machine called
electroencephalogram

GENERATORS OF EEG
POTENTIALS
Cerebral cortex generates EEG potentials.
The highest influence to EEG comes from electric
activity of cerebral cortex due to its surface position.
Spontaneous EEG activity :
reflects the flow of extracellular space
currents generated by summation of EPSP
& IPSPs ocuring on thousands or millions of
cortical neurons.

Source of EEG activity

Scalp-recorded EEG signals
are the result of summated field
potentials generated by EPSPs
and IPSPs in vertically oriented
pyramidal cells of the cortex
An EPSP in a dendrite
produces electrical negativity in
the immediately surrounding area
The reverse occurs with an
IPSP, generating an electrical
positivity nearby

Electrode on scalp

The summation of EPSPs and

5
IPSPs is enhanced

EEG ELECTRODE BASICS

ELECTRODE : simply the means whereby the
electrical activity of the brain is communicated to
the input circuits of amplifiers in EEG machine.

METAL : The material of which the electrode is

composed
ELECTROLYTE : conducting solution ( usually a
salt solution made up of NaCl)
gel / paste (surface electrode)
fluids of living tissue (below
the skin)
Metal-electrolyte interface : current flow in
the brain becomes electron flow in the electrodes &
electrode wires.

Cont
IONS : particles in solution that bear
electrical charge.
The fact that ions r free to move in the
solution that if voltage is applied between
two points in solution, an electric current
can b made to flow in it.

CONT
The current is carried by the ions in the
solution in the same way as the current is
carried by loosely bound electrons in the
metallic conductor.
ions
electrolyte
electrons
metal
Metal electrolyte interface :
the junction where the flow of ions is
converted into flow of electrons.
(Electrochemical phenomenon to purely
electrical phenomenon)

ELECTRODE TYPES
SURFACE
Flat
Metal or plastic
Cup
NEEDLE
Subdermal needle electrode
Subdermal wire electrode
INVASIVE
Depth electrode
Strip electrode
Grid electrode

Types of EEG electrodes

Ear clip electrode

Disk electrodes

Grid electrodes

Needle electrodes

Depth electrodes

10

STRUCTURE OF A
ELECTRODE

Each electrode consists of

Circular pieces of thin metal that may b flat or
cup shaped
Diameter vary from 4 mm to 10 mm
Some cup-disk electrode have hole in the centre
Pb, Gold and silver can b used in the
construction
Disks r soldered to a flexible insulated wire and
this junction is carefully covered by plastic
material.

EEG Electrodes: Ideal

Low Resistance
large surface area
rough surface
Low DC Offset
Silver-Silver/Chloride (Ag-Ag/Cl)
Similar material, do not mix electrode types
Pure silver, no contaminants
Imaging Compatible
convenient; particularly, in the ICU during Ceeg
Ideal is pure silver with a Ag-Ag/Cl coat
suitable for scalp and subdermal
not suitable for invasive neuronal contact, best with Sn, Au, Pt

Silver-Silver Chloride
Electrodes
The most commonly used electrode type
Silver is interfaced with its salt silver-chloride
Choice of materials helps to reduce junction
potentials
Electrolytic gel enhances conductivity and
also reduces junction potentials
The gel is typically soaked into a foam pad or
applied directly in a pocket produced by
electrode housing
Relatively low-cost and general purpose
electrode
Particularly suited for ambulatory or long
term use

Gold Electrodes
Very high conductivity suitable for low-noise
meas.
Inertness suitable for reusable electrodes
Body forms cavity which is filled with
electrolytic gel
Compared to Ag-AgCL: greater expense, higher
junction potentials and motion artifacts
Often used in EEG, sometimes in EMG

Electrode Placement
In 1947,it was decided at an international
EEG congress held in London to
standardize the system of electrode
placement
10-20 international system of
electrode placement was developed which
became standard worldwide since 1958
10-10 system : consists of 64 electrodes

Ten Twenty System

The head is divided into proportional distances from
prominent skull landmarks (nasion, preauricular
points, inion) to provide adequate coverage of all
regions of the brain.
Label 10-20 designates proportional distance in percents
between ears and nose where points for electrodes are
chosen.
Electrode placements are labelled according adjacent
brain areas: F (frontal), C (central), T (temporal), P
(parietal), and O (occipital).
The letters are accompanied by odd numbers at the left
side of the head and with even numbers on the right
side

Electrode placement

Requires distance from

front to back of head and
distance from left to right.

Front to back defined as

distance from nasion to
inion.

Nasion - intersection of
the frontal bone and two
nasal bones

Inion - the most

prominent projection of
the occipital bone at the
posterioinferior (lower
rear) part of the skull

Electrode placement
Requires distance
from front to back of
head and distance
from left to right.
Left right defined as
distance between
pre-auricular points.
Pre-auricular
point- root of the
zygomatic arch
anterior to the
tragus

Electrode placement

Electrode placement begins at 10% from these landmarks.

Electrodes are placed at 20% intervals.

Allows for 19 recording electrodes

Electrode names reflect location.

Even number right/ odd left; z = midline
C = central; F = frontal; P = parietal; T = temporal; O = occipital
Larger numbers are farther from the midline

The 10-20
placement
system.

TOPOGRAPHICAL
ORIENTATION

Special electrodes
Sphenoidal electrodesmonitor mesial basal temporal activity

Silverman true ant temporal electrodes

monitor anterior temporal activity

Zygomatic electrodes
monitor lateral basal temporal activity

Nasopharyngeal electrodes
now rarely used

10-10
SYSTEM
Extensions of this

placement system
include greater numbers
of electrodes.

10/10 electrode
placement places
electrodes at 10%
intervals.
10/5 electrode placement
put electrodes at 5%
intervals.
Most labs are using some
variant of this system
and use the associated
electrode names.

The 10-10 placement system

Types of electrode placement

EEG electrodes
placed separately
on scalp
EEG electrodes
mounted as
special band on head

25

ELECTRODE APPLICATION
Two basic ways :
Using GEL :
Easier to apply
suitable for most routine office
&
hospital recordings
Using COLLODION :
More secure attachment
suitable for long term
recordings

CONT

COLLODION fixed electrodes

THANK
YOU