The role of nasopharyngeal electrodes in clinical electroencephalography

Standard EEG: A Research Roadmap for Neuropsychiatry

“…However, Hughes (1983) expressed skepticism that abnormal discharges of any type will appear very often confined to nasopharyngeal leads while being absent in all scalp derivations. Such skepticism is supported by earlier work (de Jesus and Masland 1970) demonstrating that out of 789 EEGs (495 of which were abnormal) only 7 tracings were found with an abnormal discharge confined to nasopharyngeal leads (0.9 % of all patients screened). Others have also reported that nasopharyngeal electrodes provide little or no additional information beyond standard scalp electrodes when used with psychiatric patients (Struve and Feigenbaum 1981).…”

Experience with Nasopharyngeal Electrode Recording with Psychiatric Patients : A Clinical Note

“…Our procedure is similar to that of Mavor and Hellen" as well as that of de Jesus and Masland. 9 Of special interest, these latter authors" present a routine series of 789 EEGs using both NP and scalp lead derivations. Of 495 patients with abnormal EEGs, seven (1.4%) would have been completely missed without use of NP leads (0.9% of all patients screened).…”