Authors:

Mishti Broor

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About Paper:

Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used to study brain activity in clinical and rehabilitation settings [1]. For EEG to work effectively, the electrodes must sit firmly against the scalp to minimize impedance and improve signal to noise ratio (SNR). In individuals with dense, Type IV hair, conventional EEG caps often limit scalp contact and reduce signal quality. [1,2]. Consequently, Black participants remain underrepresented in EEG research, limiting the generalizability of findings. [1,2]. This study focuses on the development of 3D-printed electrode attachments designed to work for Type IV hairstyles, targeting natural and braided hair configurations. The attachment features a circular housing ring with lateral stabilizing wings that anchor through hair strands to secure the electrode and maintain scalp contact during movement. Attachments were fabricated using a resin printer (Anycubic Mono 7). A 32-chanel configuration was tested, comparing conventional cap electrodes on the left scalp with the novel attachment on the right. Participants completed resting and walking recordings while impedance, gel volume, electrode to scalp distance, and signal to noise ratio (SNR) were measured. Data collection is ongoing with a target enrollment of 10 participants; however, data from two participants (n=2) demonstrated differences between the cap and the novel attachment. Impedance measurements ranged from 0-110Kohm with the conventional cap (distance to scalp: ~2.0-3.5cm; $1.5mL gel), while the novel attachment ranged from 0-23Kohm (distance to scalp: ~0.6-1.6cm; $1.1mL gel). At rest, the novel attachment demonstrated superior signal quality with SNR values ranging from 2.1 to 10.1 dB, significantly outperforming the conventional cap's lower range of -0.5 to 4.5 dB. [3]. These findings suggest the novel electrode design improves scalp contact, reduces conductive gel usage, and enhances signal quality across channels, supporting more inclusive data collection for individuals with Type IV hair. Ongoing recruitment (n=10) will further evaluate performance across hairstyle conditions.

Source:

University of Illinois Chicago

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Co-authors:

Mishti Broor