Ear-EEG Continuous and Wearable Brain Monitoring

David Looney and Danilo P. Mandic

Communications and Signal Processing Research Group, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering {david.looney06,d.mandic}@imperial.ac.uk
SUMMARY | We present a radically new solution for recording EEG where electrodes are embedded on a customized earpiece, as typically used in hearing aids (Ear-EEG). This provides a noninvasive, minimally intrusive and user friendly way of recording EEG over long time periods (days) and in natural environments. The operation of EarEEG is illustrated for alpha-attenuation and responses to auditory stimuli, and its potential in brain computer interface and fatigue-detection demonstrated. Ear-EEG signal quality is comparable with that of on-scalp electrodes, thus promising a quantum step forward for continuous and wearable brain monitoring.

(3) Ear-EEG: Applications

There are a wide range of EEG applications, clinical and non-clinical, for which only a small number of recording electrodes are sufficient but where portable, discreet, unobtrusive and user-friendly devices are paramount

Pilot Study: Fatigue Monitoring

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(1) Existing (on-scalp) EEG Systems

Electroencephalogram (EEG) technology is widely used as a low cost means of recording brain activity. However, more widespread use of EEG is limited by conventional recording systems which are bulky and cumbersome and which primarily operate in the laboratory setting This highlights the need for wearable systems which allow long-term recordings in natural environments [1]. Such systems are particularly useful in applications for which a trade-off in performance is acceptable in order to enhance user comfort

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As the subject became increasing fatigued their error rate in a computer-based task increased. Note a strong correlation between error rate and Ear-EEG alpha power

Pilot Study: Assessment of Hearing Threshold

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Despite advances (battery size, dry electrodes), on-scalp systems require a means for stable attachment (cap and/or adhesive), making the recording process uncomfortable and stigmatising

Ear-EEG electrodes are located close to the primary auditory cortex and the SNR of responses to auditory stimuli match that of on-scalp electrodes [4]

Pilot Study: Brain Computer Interface

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(2) Ear-EEG
In order for EEG to be adopted more widely and in natural environments, the recording technology should be [2, 3]: Discreet - not clearly visible or stigmatising, Unobtrusive - comfortable to wear and impeding the user as little as possible, User-friendly - users should be able to attach and operate the devices themselves. Motivated by the above requirements, we have developed the Ear-EEG concept whereby brain activity is recorded from within the ear canal achieved by embedding electrodes on a customised earpiece (similar to a hearing aid) The tight fit between the earpiece and ear canal ensures that the electrodes are held firmly in place, thus overcoming some critical obstacles in scalp EEG such as motion artifacts and experiment repeatability
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attention-specific Ear-EEG response

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move robot left!

In visual stimulus-based BCI Ear-EEG exhibits a performance reduction (bits/min) of only 50% compared with on-scalp approach (result shortlisted for 2012 BCI award [5])

(4) Ear-EEG: Future Opportunities

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electrode electrode electrode output

The future Ear-EEG device will be a tiny battery powered brain monitoring device with gelfree electrodes that, like a hearing aid, will perform both the recording and signal processing in situ (see below) The functionality of the Ear-EEG platform can readily be extended beyond EEG to include other physiological signals by integrating additional non-invasive and small sensors: cardiovascular function: ear-based photoplethysmography devices available respiratory function: respiratory sounds can be recorded within ear canal movement: accelerometers are sufficiently small size and low-power

Prototype Ear-EEG system: all electrodes (including reference and ground) are embedded on a customized earpiece placed within the ear canal and the outer ear
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ocular activity

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Ear-EEG exhibits a suppression of artifacts caused by ocular (eye) activity

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REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

[1] [2] A. J. Casson, D. C. Yates, S. J. M. Smith, J. S. Duncan, and E. Rodriguez-Villegas, Wearable electroencephalography, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 44-56, 2010. D. Looney, P. Kidmose, C. Park, M. Ungstrup, M. L. Rank, K. Rosenkranz, and D. P. Mandic, The in-the-ear recording concept (in print), IEEE Pulse Magazine, 2012. D. Looney, C. Park, P. Kidmose, M. L. Rank, M. Ungstrup, K. Rosenkranz, and D. P. Mandic, An in-the-ear platform for recording electroencephalogram, in Proceedings of the International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2011, pp. 6882-6885. P. Kidmose, D. Looney, and D. P. Mandic, Auditory evoked responses from Ear-EEG recordings (accepted), in Proceedings of the International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2012. D. Looney, P. Kidmose and D. P. Mandic, Ear-EEG: User-centered, wearable & 24/7 BCI, shortlisted for 2012 g.tec BCI award.
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The Ear-EEG concept has been validated for a wide range of stimulus-driven and spontaneous responses

[4] [5]

The Ear-EEG recording system is a fundamental step toward a ubiquitous fully wearable device suitable for long-term continuous use

This work was completed in collaboration with Aarhus University and Widex, Denmark