Electrophysiology🔗

Electroencaphalography (EEG)🔗

The MEG system can simultaneously record MEG and EEG data. The EEG amplifiers support up to 128 channels split on 4 LEMO connectors (32 channels per connector). The ground and the reference are connected on 2 separate touchproof connectors and require 2 MEG compliant touchproof leads. On the platform, the following caps are available:

	32 channels	64 channels	128 channels
Small		X
Medium		X	X
Large		X	X

The EEG channel names are incremental, EEG 001, EEG 002, EEG 003, … but correspond to a standard 10/05 naming. See the functions load_mapping_32chs(), load_mapping_64chs(), load_mapping_128chs() and this tutorial to load the mapping between the incremental channel names and the standard 10/05 naming

The EEG electrodes can be digitized are part of the digitization process using the Polhemus FASTRAK system. The digitized EEG electrodes can be used to (1) improve scalp topographies of EEG signal with “True” electrode locations, (2) improve the co-registration through additional digitization points on the scalp surface.

32 channels

64 channels

128 channels

Note

The EEG electrode digitization can either be done sequentially by following the electrodes order (1, 2, 3, ..) or by “lines” (recommended, default). The “lines” correspond to the dotted lines with arrows (left to right) on the figures above.

Hint

Using the EEG caps with the MEG system significantly increases the preparation time. 64 channels caps require about 1 hour and 2 operators to digitize, apply the gel and measures the impedances.

BIO channels🔗

The MEG system can record from 12 bipolar channels, also called BIO channels. The BIO channels can be set to record EOG, ECG, EMG, or any other bipolar montage.

Note

MEGIN and its FIFF format can store the channel type information for EOG, ECG and EMG channels. To do so, in the channel selection panel, click on Edit BIO.

MEG compliant touchproof leads🔗

MEG sensitivity to external magnetic fields prevent the use of most metal-based leads. Breathing, heart beat, and any other movement of the subject will slightly move the leads which will generate noise on the MEG sensors.

To avoid this problem, the leads used on the MEG platform are derived from the LEAD108C for MRI systems. The leads are made of plastic with a carbon-fiber leadwire and a carbon filled ABS plastic clip. The leads are 1.8 meters long.