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 they are comfortable, connect the cap connector to amplifier and turn the amplifier on.

EEG Data Collection Checklist

"Standard" Processing Steps

Cleaning Up

Shut down computers in the following order:

Close Curry 8 and shut down Amy.
Close ISCAN and shut down Hypnotoad.
Quit PTB, shut down Kif.

Needle end of syringes go into the biohazard container. Leave remaining gel in syringe, but pull plunger back a small bit to pull gel back from tip.

Throw out any used paper towels, swabs etc.

Put any used towels in laundry.

Put measuring tape in the disinfectant bucket.

Gently rinse cap in sink, try to keep its shape without stretching the material.

Turn cap inside out and using the Water pik on setting 4, spray each electrode cup to remove any gel, make sure to move the stream through the hole in the electrode. Spray each electrode moving from electrode to electrode in a pattern to ensure none are missed.

Rinse under faucet once more to remove stray gel. Inspect each electrode and make sure no gel remains! Also clean off any gel that remains on the fabric of the cap.

Allow the cap to sit in disinfectant bucket for 2 minutes. Then remove and rinse well.

Cover the foam head with a few sheets of paper towels and place cap on head. Position the cap so that it sits loosely and not bunched up anywhere.

Remove measuring tape from disinfectant and dry.

Make sure to log any technical irregularities with the net (bad electrodes, etc.) in the collaborators’ EEG net usage logbook.

If more distilled water is needed (basically if there is any less than a full supply --so probably almost always), distill another batch

Transfer any already-distilled water in the glass distiller jar to a gallon jug (using the funnel that should be in the area).

Rinse out the metal distiller reservoir with tap water, then fill it with tap water. Make sure it is closed tightly.

Place the metal distiller reservoir and the glass distiller jar in their appropriate locations. Make sure the reservoir is snug and the jar is in exactly the right spot.