Ear-EEG Sensitivity Modelling for Neural and Artifact Sources

Abstract

The ear-EEG has emerged as a promising candidate for wearable brain monitoring in real-world scenarios. While experimental studies have validated ear-EEG in multiple scenarios, the sourcesensor relationship for a variety of neural sources has not been established. In addition, a detailed theoretical analysis of the ear-EEG sensitivity to sources of artifacts is still missing. Within the present study, the sensitivity of various configurations of ear-EEG is established in the presence of neural sources from a range of brain surface locations, in addition to ocular sources for the blink, vertical saccade, and horizontal saccade eye movements which produce artifacts in the EEG signal. Results conclusively support the introduction of ear-EEG into conventional EEG paradigms for monitoring neural activity that originates from within the temporal lobes, while also revealing the extent to which ear-EEG can be used for sources further away from these regions. The use of ear-EEG for sources that are located further away from the ears is supported through the analysis of the prominence of ocular artifacts in ear-EEG. The results from this study can be used to support both existing and prospective experimental ear-EEG studies and applications in the context of both neural and ocular artifact sensitivity.

Hearables: Feasibility of Recording Cardiac Rhythms from Single Ear Locations

“…One such solution is the 'hearable' device -a wearable that fits in the ear and can serve both as an audio accessory and a platform for health monitoring [2,3]. For hearables, the stability of the head relative to the vital organs during sitting, sleeping, walking, and eating results in superior monitoring capability in real-world scenarios, relative to devices attached to the limbs [4].…”