Challenges and Opportunities in Instrumentation and Use of High-Density EEG for Underserved Regions

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive method of measuring electrical signals from the brain. However, traditional clinical EEG uses only 10–40 electrodes for diagnosis which limits its potential as an imaging modality. High-density (HD) EEG, as well as the more recent Ultra-High-Density (UHD) EEG, are imaging platforms that can be used to image the brain using various techniques to solve inverse problems. These platforms comprise a measurement device and algorithms for data analysis. Recent studies have provided promising evidence that increasing the density of electrodes can improve resolution up to at least approximately 1,000 electrodes for whole-scalp coverage. Both HD and UHD-EEG can be made inexpensive and portable; therefore, perhaps most importantly, accessible to many parts of the world. However, there are remaining challenges that can hinder HD- and UHD-EEG development and use. Here, we discuss these challenges and present the approaches our research program has developed to overcome them.

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