Summary: A decade after the first human break tracking, EEG technology has revolutionized our understanding of brain function, especially in diagnosing epilepsy.
Experts now predict that within a generation, EEG had become a popular tool for mental improvement, early diagnosis, and communication for those with serious disabilities. As technology develops, social concerns about privacy and the industrialization of EEG data are a big deal.
Important Facts:
- EEG Evolution: From seizure diagnosis to possible cognitive development.
- Potential Use: Real-time head dysfunction diagnosis within 10-14 decades.
- Social Concerns: Privacy and moral issues in industrial EEG applications.
Origin: University of Leeds
Researchers are celebrating the reputation of its identification and expressing their future plans and priorities one hundred years after the first time it was discovered.  ,
Human electroencephalography ( EEG ) has been a key component of our understanding of brain function and dysfunction since its initial recording in July 1924, most recently in the clinical diagnosis of epilepsy, where a condition that had previously been thought of as a personality disorder was quickly redefined as a disorder of brain activity.  ,
Today, a century on, more than 500 researchers from around the world, have been asked to indicate on the effects of this breakthrough strategy, as well as on the challenges and objectives for the future.  ,
A survey, led by University of Leeds academics, saw respondents – with 6, 685 years of shared experience – presented with probable potential developments for EEG, ranging from those deemed’ essential to progress’ to the’ very improbable,’ and asked to estimate how long it might be before they were achieved.
The results are published today ( 22 August 2024 )  , in the journal , Nature Human Behaviour.  ,  ,
Modern innovations ,
The list includes a number of intriguing, modern innovations that, according to experts, could be implemented in a generation. This includes using EEG to improve mental performance, early recognition of learning disabilities, popular use as a lie detector, and use as a main communication tool for those with serious motor disabilities and locked-in syndrome.  ,
Some experts believe that the likelihood of reading the content of dreams and long-term memories to be more than 50 years away, but many people believe that this is closer to science fiction than reality, while the diagnosis of brain abnormalities like seizures or tumors is believed to be just 10 to 14 years away.  ,
It may be surprising to many that, according to the survey published today ( 22 August ) in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, within a generation we could all be carrying around our own, personal, portable, EEG.  ,
The paper’s co-author,  , Dominik Welke, Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, said:” They could really become something like a smartphone: where almost everybody has access to them and can use them daily – ideally improving their life by providing meaningful insight into physiological factors” . ,
He added:” One such positive, potential future use of EEG technology could be vigilance control for drivers or pilots. These work-safety systems could help the user determine whether they are sleeping, wake them up, or request a co-pilot to take over.
The hardware involved in recording EEG is relatively basic, remaining unchanged – in principle – since it was first used by psychiatrist Hans Berger, in Germany, on July 6, 1924. The analysis of the now digitally recorded data and what we can do with it have undergone a significant change since then.  ,
Consisting of just electrodes and an amplifier, EEG systems are becoming increasingly cheap to produce, as well as more portable and user-friendly. There is little to stop it from becoming more accessible to a wider audience, despite its non-invasive nature.  ,  ,
Reducing health inequalities ,
While gamers will be enthralled by the prospect of EEG technology being used frequently in VR and gaming, which are only projected to be around 20 years away, scientists and clinicians have a truly exciting chance of engaging with populations that are traditionally excluded from EEG research, especially in low-income nations where more sophisticated imaging technology is inaccessible.  ,
Additionally, advancements in AI-driven automation are anticipated to speed up and improve the analysis of complex data.  ,  ,
Dr Welke said:” Looking ahead to the future: from the hardware side, it’s comparatively cheap and easy to produce, and from the analysis and software side, with these new computing technologies, all the puzzle pieces are there to really roll out EEG to a very large user base.  ,
EEG has the potential to make neuroimaging accessible to everyone in the world, in contrast to other methods available like MRI and implanted devices. ”  ,  ,
The paper’s lead author,  , Faisal Mushtaq, Professor of Cognitive Science and the Director of the Centre for Immersive Technologies at the University of Leeds, said:” Nearly all the data we currently have on the human brain comes from a very small segment of the world’s population.  ,  ,
” We are increasingly aware that this limits our ability to generalize findings and enhance global brain health.  ,  ,
EEG stands out as the most affordable and logistically practical neuroimaging tool for use worldwide in a variety of settings. This would aid in the development of a global population-inclusive and representative neuroscience.  ,  ,
He added:” Our partners at the , Global Brain Consortium , are laying the foundations for increasing reach in this way and I expect this will unlock new opportunities for groundbreaking discoveries on the mechanisms of brain function” . ,
Ethical questions ,
The experts consulted also sounded a note of caution, with concerns ranging from a lack of adherence to agreed standards and protocols to ethical questions raised by novel commercial applications and the appeal of “neuroenhancement” as well as the optimism that emerging technologies are opening exciting new possibilities for EEG.  ,
Dr. Welke remarked,” I’m sure some of the multi-national tech companies might be very interested in rolling out EEG or other neuroimaging technology to get more information about their users that hints at their preferences and emotions 24 hours a day. But is it appropriate to use it in this manner?  ,  ,
There are unmistakable issues with cognitive freedom and mental privacy. This supports the importance of “responsibility,” which states that trying new ways to use technology is likely to raise fresh ethical concerns. ”  ,
Another goal of the survey was to identify the EEG community’s priorities for guiding future initiatives. Participants rated how significant significant advancements and discoveries in various EEG research areas would be to their work.  ,
Professor Mushtaq , said:” I think that EEG, when combined with technologies such as AI and virtual reality, could radically transform the ways in which we interact with machines, and in doing so, play an extremely important role in science and society over the next 100 years.  ,  ,  ,
” But to ensure this, the neuroscience community—from academic, clinical and industry settings—must commit to promoting robust, ethical, inclusive, and sustainable practices that will help realise its enormous potential” . ,
The work was conducted by more than 90 authors, ranging from early career researchers to eminent figures in the field, collectively known as the , EEG100 consortium.  ,
It all began as a collaboration between the Global Brain Consortium, a diverse network of brain researchers, clinicians, and institutions committed to improving and more equitable health outcomes around the world, and #EEGManyLabs, an international network of researchers from more than 30 countries assessing the replicability of the results of some of the most significant and influential EEG experiments of psychological phenomena.  ,
The paper’s last author,  , Pedro Antonio Valdés-Sosa, Director of China Cuba Laboratory for Neurotechnology , at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China/Cuban Neuroscience Center, said:” In several countries, including Cuba, we have demonstrated that EEG can mass-screen some nervous system disorders at a population level.  ,  ,
This technology is especially useful when resources are constrained, as they are in disengaged groups all over the world.  ,  ,
” We still have some challenges to overcome in order to use EEG on a global scale, but hopefully we can do so to save millions of lives.”
The , which funded the paper’s lead authors, Dr. Sadhana Sharma, Head of Bioscience for Health Strategy at the , Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BBSRC ), said: “EEG technology has the potential to transform our day-to-day activities and how we diagnose and treat neurological conditions in the future, ensuring that insights into brain health are accessible to diverse populations around the world.  ,  ,
As we embrace bioscience developments, our focus is still on fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that promote ethical, equitable, and significant advances in brain science on a global scale. ”  ,  ,
About this news about neurotech and EEG research
Author: Anna Harrison
Source: University of Leeds
Contact: Anna Harrison – University of Leeds
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
Dominik Welke and colleagues ‘” 100 Years of EEG for Brain and Behavior Research” is a quote from. Nature Human Behavior
Abstract
100 Years of EEG for Brain and Behaviour Research
More than 500 experts reflect on the impact of this discovery on our understanding of the brain and behavior on the centenary of the first human EEG recording.
We record their priorities and call for coordinated action that emphasizes validity, democratization, and responsibility to realize EEG’s potential in science and society over the next 100 years.
