rapwiki: StandardEEGProtocols

COVID safety notes

• the researcher's and the participant's safety should both be taken into consideration
• researchers should always wear a mask while conducting studies
• protocols will be explained to shorten the exposure between researchers and participants

Being prepared

Paperwork to have ready:

• Consent
• Demographics
• EEG log sheet
• Papers for written tasks
• Receipt form and compensation for paid studies

Important Supplies:

• Measuring tape
• Grease pencil
• Hair clips
• 2 full, pre-filled syringes and extra gel
• an extra syringe needle
• Wooden dowels
• Paper towels
• Electrode sticky discs
• Electrodes VEOL, VEOU, HEOL, HEOR, and nose reference (long wire)
  • Missing or broken electrodes can be substituted with another of a different label as long as it is applied and connected in the proper location

First Steps:

• Prepare electrodes VEOx, HEOx, and the nose reference
  • Remove the sticky disks from the sheet (it helps to poke the center hole out first) and stick to electrode, centering it as best as possible
  • Fill electrode with gel as completely as possible without mounding the gel (doing this early allows it to dry and makes it more effective later)
• Turn on electronics in order
  • Turn on Amy (mouse and keyboard switcher back left on desk switches between Amy and Hypnotoad)
  • Turn on Hypnotoad. Once on, open ISCAN
  • Turn on Kif. Once on, move to appropriate directory, open: PTB

Put your phone on silent

Setting Up the Pariticipant

• When the participant arrives, ask them to remove all electronics (i.e. phones, watches, earbuds, etc.) and store them in a safe space
• Give the participant the informed consent sheet and any other paperwork that needs to be done at this time.
  • Let the participant know this will be a long study, and that if they need to go to the bathroom, they should do so at this point
• Using the tape measure, have the participant hold the start of it in the center of their forehead, just above the eyebrows. Make sure that the bottom of the tape measure touches the tops of the ears and the inion. Write down the total number in cm (this measurement will tell you if they require a S, M, or L cap)
• Have the participant hold the tape measure against their nasion and go over the top, center of their head until you reach the inion. Take 10% of that number, then measure that distance on the participant's forehead and mark it with a grease pen (this will be a reference for where the front of the cap should be placed)

image at: https://sleepdata.org/datasets/cfs/pages/manuals/polysomnography/17-08-03-01-identify-landmarks.md

• Guide the participant into the EEG study room and check the EEG cap log to make sure to use the least recently used cap in that size.

* Have the participant brush through their hair with a disposable comb and clean off their face with a towelette (specifically on their nose and around their eyes, as

• electrodes will be placed there)
• With the proper cap, have the participant sit still. Align the front of the cap with the grease mark using your thumbs along the front edge to hold it in place, and assure that the central electrodes are lined up with the center of their head. Pull the cap over their head using the rest of your fingers
  • if this process is done properly, the back of the cap should fall on the inion, the ear holes should be comfortable for the participant, and the strap should fit snuggly under their chin
  • While the cap is difficult to adjust once its on the participant's head, if there is a need to move the cap, don't tug on a specific section, but try to move the entire cap
• Have the subject hold the cap connector
• Remove the backside of the sticky disc and apply each electrode
  • HEOR - just outside of right eye, connector hangs near right ear
  • HEOL - just outside of left eye, connector hangs near left ear
  • VEOU – just above left eyebrow, connector hangs near left temple
  • VEOL – just below left eye, at top of cheekbone, connector near left temple
  • Nose reference –tip of nose, connects at bottom rear of cap
    • Be sure to audibly say "boop" as you stick it to their nose
    • Run wire along side of the cap and secure it out of the way with a mini hair-clip.
• Have the participant face the monitor, and adjust the chair and the chin rest so that they are in a comfortable position. Be sure that it is a position they can stay in comfortably for an extended period of time, as we want them to be comfortable during the experiment.
• When the are comfortable, connect the cap connector to amplifier and turn the amplifier on

EEG Data Collection Checklist

"Standard" Processing Steps

Cleaning Up