New Electrodes for Enabling Inclusive EEG Monitoring in Black Populations

脑电图（EEG）——一种对于诊断癫痫、中风、大脑至关重要的神经传感方式 受伤和其他神经系统疾病——对于头发粗而卷曲的人来说是难以接受的 在黑人人口中。这些发质的弹性使其难以保持良好的电极头皮状态 联系。因此，黑人患者无法获得与其他患者相同质量的护理。我们的团队设计了 第一个电极——Sevo 电极1，以及与这些电极一起使用的补充头发编织技术 头发类型。在拟议的工作中，精密神经镜将严格量化脑电图的改善 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。 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，以及 电极； 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 实验室。目标 2 将通过设计 i) 无编织电极来拓宽 Sevo 的适用性和市场；二） 嵌入新型导电海绵电极，获得快速贴合且可用的电极 很长一段时间； iii) 电极设计为高密度脑电图安装。 通过在临床环境中进行严格测试，我们在相关人群上测试我们的电极，即： 患有癫痫症的儿童。虽然我们的电极将帮助所有这种发型的患者和参与者， 它们将为患有唐氏综合症和自闭症谱系的患者提供更大的帮助，因为他们发现很难 将脑电图电极放置在头皮上，这对于患有这些疾病的黑人患者来说是一个困难 失调。因此，该项目可以支持 NIH INCLUDE 计划 (https://www.nih.gov/include-project) 专门针对唐氏综合症患者，并且广泛地按照联邦法律的要求启用包容性 NIH 研究 （《公共卫生服务法》第 492B 条、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.