New Electrodes for Enabling Inclusive EEG Monitoring in Black Populations

脑电图（EEG）--一种诊断癫痫、中风、脑 受伤和其他神经系统疾病-是无法访问的个人与粗糙和卷曲的头发常见 黑人人口。这些类型的头发弹性很大，很难保持良好的电极-头皮 contact.因此，黑人患者被剥夺了与其他人相同的护理质量。我们的团队设计了 第一个电极-- Sevo电极，和辅助的头发编织技术， 发型在拟议的工作中，Precision Neuroscopics将严格量化EEG的改善 在临床和研究实验室环境中使用Sevo电极获得的指标，以及获得新的 设计，扩大适用性和市场的Sevo。 目标1将在a）临床环境中测试Sevo电极，与临床标准系统进行比较， 电极;和B）神经科学实验室设置，与神经科学中使用的最先进系统进行比较 labs.目标2将通过设计i）无编织电极; ii） 嵌入新型导电海绵电极，以获得快速应用且可使用的电极 3）电极设计高密度EEG装置。 通过在临床环境中进行严格的测试，我们在相关人群中测试我们的电极，即， 患有癫痫的儿童。虽然我们的电极将帮助所有患者和参与者与这种头发类型， 他们将对唐氏综合症和自闭症谱系患者有更大的帮助，他们发现很难 有脑电图电极应用在他们的头皮上，一个困难的黑人患者患有这些 紊乱因此，该项目可以支持NIH INCLUDE倡议（https：//www.nih.gov/include-project） 专门针对唐氏综合征患者，广泛地，使国家卫生研究院的研究所要求的联邦法律 （《公共卫生服务法》第二条）492 B，42 USC 289 a-2）和NIH政策。

Electroencephalography (EEG) -- a neural sensing modality essential for diagnosis of epilepsy, stroke, brain injuries and other neurological disorders -- is not accessible to individuals with coarse and curly hair common in Black populations. The springiness of these hair-types makes it difficult to maintain a good electrodes-scalp contact. Consequently, Black patients are denied the same quality of care as others. Our team has designed the first electrodes -- Sevo electrodes1, and complementary hair-braiding techniques -- that work with these hair-types. In the proposed work, Precision Neuroscopics will rigorously quantify improvement in EEG metrics obtained using Sevo electrodes in clinical and research lab settings, as well as obtain new designs that broaden the applicability and market of Sevo. Aim 1 will test Sevo electrodes in a) clinical setting, comparing with clinical standard systems and electrodes; and b) neuroscience lab setting, comparing with state-of-the-art systems used in neuroscience labs. Aim 2 will broaden the applicability and the market for Sevo by designing i) braid-free electrodes; ii) embedding novel conductive sponge electrodes to obtain electrodes that are quick-apply and yet can be used for a long time; iii) electrodes designed high-density EEG installation. By testing rigorously in a clinical setting, we test our electrodes on a relevant population, namely, children suffering from epilepsy. While our electrodes will help all patients and participants with this hair-type, they will be of even greater help for patients with Down’s syndrome and autism spectrum, who find it difficult to have EEG electrodes applied on their scalp, a difficulty compounded for Black patients suffering from these disorders. The project can thus support the NIH INCLUDE initiative (https://www.nih.gov/include-project) specific to Down’s syndrome patients, and broadly, enable inclusive NIH studies as required by federal law (Public Health Service Act sec. 492B, 42 USC 289a-2) and NIH policy.