Abstract
Even though the principles of recording brain electrical activity remain unchanged since their discovery, their acquisition has seen major improvements. The cEEGrid, a recently developed flex-printed multi-channel sensory array, can be placed around the ear and successfully record well-known cortical electrophysiological potentials such as late auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) or the P300. Due to its fast and easy application as well as its long-lasting signal recording window, the cEEGrid technology offers great potential as a flexible and ‘wearable’ solution for the acquisition of neural correlates of hearing. Early potentials of auditory processing such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR) are already used in clinical assessment of sensorineural hearing disorders and envelope following responses (EFR) have shown promising results in the diagnosis of suprathreshold hearing deficits. This study evaluates the suitability of the cEEGrid electrode configuration to capture these AEPs. cEEGrid potentials were recorded and compared to cap-EEG potentials for young normal-hearing listeners and older listeners with high-frequency sloping audiograms to assess whether the recordings are adequately sensitive for hearing diagnostics. ABRs were elicited by presenting clicks (70 and 100-dB peSPL) and stimulation for the EFRs consisted of 120 Hz amplitude-modulated white noise carriers presented at 70-dB SPL. Data from nine bipolar cEEGrid channels and one classical cap-EEG montage (earlobes to vertex) were analysed and outcome measures were compared. Results show that the cEEGrid is able to record ABRs and EFRs with comparable shape to those recorded using a conventional cap-EEG recording montage and the same amplifier. Signal strength is lower but can still produce responses above the individual neural electrophysiological noise floor. This study shows that the application of the cEEGrid can be extended to the acquisition of early auditory evoked potentials.
Highlights
The use of EEG as a clinical tool has a long tradition and is well established in research
We demonstrated that the cEEGrid is able to record ABRs as well as EFRs with amplitudes/magnitudes above the statistical noise floor in a controlled lab setting, providing the proofof-concept for future developments in amplifier technologies and mobile EEG solutions
The cEEGrid reproduced the trends seen between the stimulus conditions and participant groups in the capEEG reference recordings
Summary
The use of EEG as a clinical tool has a long tradition and is well established in research. Other research groups have investigated the use of a soft, foldable electrode mesh that can be placed on the auricle, and mastoid (Norton et al, 2015). The cEEGrid is a flex-printed, reusable multi-channel sensor array that can be placed around the ear using adhesive and a small amount of conductive gel. Data can be recorded using regular stationary EEG amplifiers or a small mobile amplifier and commercially available smart-phones (Debener et al, 2015). These technological advances open avenues for new fields of research which require data acquisition over long periods of time or recordings outside the lab environment
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