New Electrodes for Enabling Inclusive EEG Monitoring in Black Populations

脑电(EEG)--一种诊断癫痫、中风、脑部疾病必不可少的神经传感手段 损伤和其他神经系统疾病--通常是头发粗糙和卷曲的人不能接触到的 在黑人群体中。这些类型的头发具有弹性，因此很难保持良好的电极--头皮 联系。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1，以及配套的编发技术--与这些电极一起工作 头发类型。在拟议的工作中，精密神经内窥镜将严格量化脑电的改善 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 扩大Sevo的适用性和市场的设计。 AIM 1将在a)临床环境中测试SEVO电极，与临床标准系统和 电极；以及b)神经科学实验室环境，与神经科学中使用的最先进系统进行比较 实验室。目标2将通过设计i)无编织电极来扩大SEVO的适用性和市场；ii) 植入新型导电海绵电极，获得快速施用但仍可使用的电极 长时间；iii)电极设计的高密度脑电装置。 通过在临床环境中严格测试，我们在相关人群上测试我们的电极，即， 患有癫痫的儿童。虽然我们的电极将帮助所有这种发型的患者和参与者， 它们将对唐氏综合症和自闭症患者有更大的帮助，这些患者发现很难 是否在他们的头皮上应用了脑电电极，这对患有这些疾病的黑人患者来说是一个困难 精神错乱。因此，该项目可以支持美国国立卫生研究院的纳入倡议(https://www.nih.gov/include-project) 针对唐氏综合症患者，并广泛地实现联邦法律要求的包容性NIH研究 (《公共卫生服务法》第二节492B，42 USC 289a-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.