Acquisition of High-Density EEG/ERP Equipment for Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

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With National Science Foundation support Dr. John Richards and his collaborators at the University of South Carolina will purchase instrumentation necessary to establish a high-density EEG/ERP recording laboratory in the Department of Psychology. High-density EEG/ERP recording is a recently developed technique in which 128 electrodes are used to record scalp electrical potentials. These changes are hypothesized to be related to specific events in the cortex that in turn are closely related to psychological processes. The instrumentation allows the testing of cortical source generators and will be used for research and research training in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. The System has three components: 1. A NetAmps recording system and ancillary equipment made by Electrical Geodesics Inc. for high-density acquisition of EEG and ERP; 2. Software for source modeling of the cortical potentials; 3 related equipment including a computer for experimental testing, network switches to provide a virtual laboratory to allow access to the EEG/ERP equipment. Support is also provided to personnel to aid in the installation and maintenance of the equipment and laboratory.The scientists with primary access to the instrumentation are involved in research and research training in the study of the neural basis of behavior and cognition and engage in hypothesis driven basic scientific research. Topics include reading, attention and perception, the development of the brain and brain control of attention and object cognition. It will be possible for example to study the psychophysiology of attention in infants aged 2 to 6 months and gain insight into the cortical processing involved in reading. The University of South Carolina Department of Psychology currently runs an NSF Summer Research Institute for Undergraduates and students will be permitted to participate in experiments which utilize this instrumentation. It will also be available for teaching and research purposes to both graduates and undergraduates.