KMK3513

Applied Neuroscience
For Special Needs

Chapter 4:
International 10-20 System
International 10-20 System
 The 10-20 Electrode Placement System is a method used to
describe the location of the scalp electrodes. These scalp
electrodes are used to record the brain waves.

 The 10-20 system is based on the relationship between the

location of the electrode and the base area of the cerebral cortex.
Every point on this figure to the left indicates the potential
location of the electrode. Each site has a letter (to identify the
lobe) and a number or letter to identify the location of the
hemisphere. The letters F, T, C, P and O stand for Frontal,
Temporal, Central, Parietal and Occipital respectively.
Nasion - point between the forehead and nose. Inion - Bump at back of skull.

The "10" and "20" refer to the 10% or 20%

interelectrode distance
 Even numbers (2,4,6,8) refer to the right hemisphere and odd
numbers (1,3,5,7) refer to the left hemisphere. The z refers to an
electrode placed on the midline. Also note that the smaller the
number, the closer the position is to the midline.
Anatomical directional term
Term Location
Posterior Toward the rear of the head
Anterior Toward the front of the head
Vertex Central position (Cz)
Dorsal Toward the top of the head
Ventral Toward the bottom of the head
Medial Midline of the brain
Lateral To the left or right of the midline
Superior Closer to the top (dorsal)
Inferior Closer to the bottom (ventral)
Neuroanatomy directional terms
 Forward slash (/) dividing two sites means ‘in between’. Eg C3/T3 refers to a
midway location.
 Dash (-) means along the same path or both. Eg C3-T3 means include both
sides

Abbreviation Part
F Frontal lobes
T Temporal lobes
O Occipital lobes
P Parietal lobes
C Central and sensorimotor cortex
Z Centreline that seperates L and R
hemisphere
 Fissures are the long deep grooves in the cerebral cortex that follow the
boundaries between lobes. The wall or elevated ridge on each side of a deep
groove is called gyrus.
Eg Surface of the deep groove that divides the LH and RH is called
cingulate gyrus. (Pinel & Edwards, 1998)
 The shorter grooves are called sulcus

Brain locations along the cingulate gyrus (division between LH and RH)
Abbreviation Part Cingulate gyrus
Fpz Anterior ventral medial (Prefrontal cortex)
Fz Anterior dorsal medial (Prefrontal cortex)
Cz Central dorsal medial (somatosensory/motor cortex) – central
fissure and the cingulate gyrus intersect at the vertex
Pz Posterior dorsal medial (Parietal lobe)
Oz Posterior ventral medial (occipital lobe)
 Gyrus, sulcus and fissures
 Brain locations of frontal lobe

Abbreviation Part
Fp1 Anterior ventral lateral left (orbital gyrus)
Fp2 Anterior ventral lateral right (orbital gyrus)
F3 Anterior dorsal lateral left
F4 Anterior dorsal lateral right
F7 Anterior lateral left
F8 Anterior lateral right
The following regions have been assigned names;
Area
Broca’s area
Wernicke’s area
Auditory cortices
Parieto-occipital
Temporo-parieto-occipito
Sensorimotor cortex divides
frontal and parietal lobes
Region
LH only: F7/T3
LH only: posterior superior
temporal lobe
LH: C3/T3 and RH: C4/T4
LH: P3/O1 and RH: P4/O2
LH: T5/P3/O1 and RH: T6/P4/O2
C3-CZ-C4
• Somatosensory cortex is in the parietal lobe
• Primary motor cortex is in frontal lobe
• Pre-motor cortex is anterior to the primary
motor cortex
 Lobe Sites, Specialization and Functions
 Frontal Lobes
* Sites: Frontal poles – Fp1, Fp2, Fpz and frontal Fz, F3, F4, F7, F8
* Key functions: Attention, memory, social awareness, character,
motivation, planning, pre-frontal lobes have connections
(neuronal networks) leading to amygdala. They identify problems
and may send them to other brain regions for a solution.
 Neurofeedback training along the anterior dorsal (Fz) and ventral (Fpz)
portions of the brain may have an impact on social behavior and moral
fortitude. Weaknesses in this area are evident in oppositional and
antisocial behaviors. This behavior may parallel excessive EEG slowing and
inadequate cerebral blood flow (CBF) throughout other prefrontal areas as
well-especially Fp I and Fp2. Clients with excessive fear as a result of
trauma, anxiety, and neglect may likely have an overactive amygdala.
 Neurofeedback training in the right prefrontal cortex may lead to "a
reduction in fear as well as a sense of calm and well being" (Fisher, 2004)
 Parietal Lobes
* Sites: Pz, P4, P4
* Key functions: Math, naming objects, complex grammar, spatial
awareness
 Parietal lobes solve problems that have been conceptualized by the
frontal lobes. They have been labeled the association cortex. Complex
grammar, the naming of objects, sentence construction, and
mathematical processing are traceable to the left parietal lobe. Acalculia
or dyscalculia is a disturbance in the mental ability to calculate math
problems. It should be noted that some forms of math involve spatial
processing-for example, geometry-and so the right parietal lobe is also
suspect. Math calculation begins with the working memory (near F7),
whereas problem solving engages the parietal lobes.
 If times tables are not memorized and attention is poor, the parietal lobes
may not be fully engaged in the problem. Map orientation, knowing the
difference between right and left, and spatial recognition are all functions
of the right parietal lobe
 Temporal Lobes
* Sites: T3, T4, T5, T6
* Key functions:
LH - Verbal memories, word recognition, reading, language,
emotion
RH – Music, facial and object recognition, social cues, proximity to
amygdala (emotion) and hippocampus (memory)
 EEG slowing in the temporal lobes is often seen following concussions
"since head injuries, regardless of the site of impact, often involve the
scraping of the temporal lobes along the inner part of the sharp, bony
middle lossa" (Hughes, 1994).
 Problems with temporal lobe slowing are the most common kind of EEG
abnormality in the majority of EEG laboratories. The major pathological
changes in aging, anoxic (areas that are depleted of dissolved oxygen)
conditions, head injury and many other etiologies are ground in the
temporal lobe, especially within the depth of this lobe, the amygdala
and hippocampus"
 Occipital Lobes
* Sites: Oz, O1, O2
* Key functions: Visual field, helps to locate object in the environment,
see colors and recognize drawings and correctly identify objects, reading,
writing and spelling.
 The occipital lobes are closely associated with the visual cortex. Some
children with ADHD who are challenged by reading tasks benefit from
neurofeedback training to help them focus a well as vision therapy to help
them process.
 The occipital lobe border the parietal and temporal lobes. EEG abnormalities
in posterior locations in those two lobes often extend into occipital lobe
regions. Visual memories and accurate reading require accurate vision.
 Furthermore, traumatic memories that accompany visual flashbacks are often
processed in the occipital lobe.
 Sensory and Motor Cortex
* Sites: Cz, C3, C4
The two cortices combined are sometimes called the Sensorimotor cortex
* Key functions:
Primary motor cortex – conscious control of all skeletal muscle movements
Primary somatosensory cortex - spatial discrimination and the ability to
identify where bodily sensations originate
 Training along the sensorimotor cortex is implied for stroke, epilepsy, paralysis,
ADHD and disorders of sensory/motor integration.
 Somatosensory cortex shares in orchestrating both physical and mental
processes. It governs more than just sensory and motor functions. Therefore,
clients who have trouble seeing the logical sequence of cognitive tasks may
benefit from neurofeedback training along the LH sensorimotor cortex (C3).
 Training along the RH sensorimotor cortex (C4) may invoke feelings, emotions or
calmness. Training at the median or Cz may facilitate a mixed response.
 Cingulate Gyrus
* Sites: Fpz, Fz, Cz, Pz (also called z line)
* Key functions: Anterior cingulate gyrus – contributes to mental
flexibility cooperation, attention, helps brain to shift gears and make transition,
contributes to the brain circuitary that oversees motivation, social self and
personality
Posterior cingulate gyrus – closely aligned with parahippocampal cortices
and shares in the memory making process, provides orientation in space, eye
and sensory monitoring.
 The entire cingulate gyrus divides the LH and RH
 EEG neurofeedback training at the vertex (Cz) influences three cortices
simultaneously - somatosensory, motor, and cingulate. The cingulate is called the
cortical portion of the amygdala.
 A "hot" cingulate means that it is overactive and causing problems. Several
problems are closely associated with the anterior cingulate cortex. Three
problems in particular relate to cingulate malfunctions, OCD, ADD/ADHD, and
Tourette's syndrome
Summary
&
Discussion
Brain Lobe Function and Symptom Chart
Thank you