New Electrodes for Enabling Inclusive EEG Monitoring in Black Populations

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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.