Organizational Neuroscience A Brief Primer on Neurotechnology in I-O Psychology: A TIP Interview With Stephanie Korszen

M.K. Ward, Xiaoyuan (Susan) Zhu, and William Becker

Neuroscience equipment is expensive and can be intimidating, which in turn discourages many from taking an organizational neuroscience approach to their work. Buying neurotechnologies for your research lab or company doesn’t have to be a scary undertaking. Knowledge is power, and just as Consumer Reports helps people buy a range of products, in this issue our conversation aims to support an informed investment in neurotechnologies.

There are many suppliers of neurotechnologies, and wearable technology is a booming new product market. We talked with one neurotechnology supplier, Advanced Brain Monitoring (ABM), to provide an example of considerations to make when purchasing electroencephalography (EEG) equipment. Although we focus on EEG in this issue, Product Engineering Manager Stephanie Korszen from ABM shares advice with us that can be applied to the purchase of other types of neurotechnologies. Furthermore, this is not meant to be a pitch for ABM but rather a general discussion with a company whose product has been successfully used by organizational researchers.

Here’s a very brief overview of EEG. (If you’re already familiar with EEG, skip ahead to the next paragraph.) EEG measures synchronous electrical activity in large populations of neurons. When neurons respond to excitatory input (e.g., a selection survey), the flow creates a negative charge outside the neuron and a positive charge inside the neuron. This creates a dipole that in turn creates a magnetic field tangential to the direction of the dipole. If numerous dipoles (e.g., millions) are created and oriented in the same direction, then EEG can record their electrical potential from the scalp. It’s like trying to hear one person clapping in an adjacent room versus hearing the whole audience clapping. Aspects of the EEG signal recordings are frequency (the number of claps) and amplitude (the decibels of the clapping sounds). Data analysis of EEG includes frequency-domain analysis and time-domain analysis of event-related potentials. Although there is some distortion due to the skull, EEG has excellent temporal resolution, meaning it can measure brain activity very quickly to give a good estimate of brain activity as it occurs (e.g., Senior, Russell, & Gazzaniga, 2006). Historically, EEG has had poor spatial resolution, but thanks to technological innovations and the ability to couple EEG with other imaging techniques, researchers can capitalize on the strengths of each imaging method and improve spatial resolution.

In this interview, we discuss ways to set up an EEG system, as well as some things to keep in mind while designing a research study that incorporates neuroimaging techniques. We discuss EEG equipment options in terms of neuroscience platforms for developing objective, practical assessments of performance in professional environments.

What EEG equipment is available on the market?

The breadth of EEG equipment on the market can seem daunting, ranging from high-density 256 channel systems to single channel wireless devices. A big question for researchers is what’s the best system for me? The answer is tied to the main hypothesis that your research aims to test, as well as the outcome measures. The types of analyses that you want to run will also drive the adoption of a particular system.

Recent technological advancements have enabled the development of fully wireless, easy to use EEG systems that provide high quality, medical grade signals in an unobtrusive manner. When purchasing an EEG system, researchers should consider the tradeoffs between set-up time and signal quality based on their research agenda.

Another decision point is the sensor configuration, which will be driven by the regions of the brain that you would like to record data from. In general, the more sensor sites an EEG system provides, the more regions of the brain it covers. At a minimum, most researchers aim for coverage of the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital regions. Depending upon a study’s goals, the prefrontal area, which is on the forehead, or the temporal areas, which are on the sides of the head, may also be of interest. Selecting a system that offers coverage along both the right-hand and left-hand sides will enable measures of laterality.

When is it worth it to go with a system that has all 19 channels of the International 10-20 Montage?

A system with all 19 of the International 10-20 channels involves more set-up time than a system with fewer channels, but it gives you more options in terms of data analysis, such as 3D source localization or metrics that need temporal or prefrontal data. Additionally, the 10-20 system also offers more coverage in the occipital and parietal area (i.e., visual cortex).

On a high level, EEG analysis can be broken down into three main categories: changes over time, event locked, and 3-D modeling. Changes over time would be things like frequency-based power spectral densities (PSDs). Event-locked analysis looks at brain activity immediately before or after a stimulus has been introduced; it’s an instantaneous reaction that is locked to when the event happens. 3D modeling includes analysis like source localization or LORETA, which requires the 19 channels of the international 10-20 montage.

If you want to measure emotion, what regions of the brain do you need to consider?

This decision depends upon the specific emotion measures that you are referencing from past literature; because emotion-based metrics are still in the research phase, it is best to use a system with coverage across as many regions as possible. Ultimately, the selection will be based on the hypotheses of the research study.

What types of electrodes are associated with some of the EEG systems?

Traditionally, the electrodes that provide a fluid (or “wet”) connection have a paste-like form. ABM uses all-soft electrodes that rely upon conductive synapse cream that is more lotion like and rinses out more easily. A lot of people are also interested in dry electrodes, as opposed to wet electrodes, because of easier and shorter set-up times. But there are tradeoffs. For example, dry electrodes are rigid and can be uncomfortable, and the dry interface can actually introduce additional noise.

There are so many different EEG systems out there. What are some of the main differences between consumer grade and medical grade systems?

Typically, consumer grade EEG signals have not been validated against any of the gold standard wired systems. With those systems, you are less sure that what you’re measuring is actually brain activity and not something else (like EMG or EOG artifact). So for publishing or research purposes, a consumer grade EEG may not hold up in that regard.

What are some of the steps in setting people up with an EEG?

With any system, the set up does take some training to ensure proper sensor placement. With some EEG systems, the only prep required is a quick alcohol wipe across the participant’s head, filling the sensors, and making sure that the sensors are in contact with the scalp. For researchers, it is definitely a good idea to do a couple of dry runs before running participants so that you can catch problems early on and be well-prepared to get high quality data for your subjects.

What is the range of set-up time for the mobile and wired systems?

Set-up time can vary, and it depends on a number of factors, such as number of sensors, hair length, and troubleshooting. Typically, the time can range between 5–30 minutes for mobile EEG. For wired systems, it usually takes longer.

What software is used with an EEG system?

There are some open-source solutions, like the EEGLab, MatLab toolbox, but most companies also have proprietary software for acquisition/analysis. Proprietary software often includes algorithms and metrics for things like artifact decontamination and cognition-based measures. Generally, for researchers, always find equipment that gives you access to the raw data. If you plan to develop your own software interface, you can also keep an eye out for companies that include the software developer’s kit (SDK). In terms of filtering out noise, you can either use a software that includes decon algorithms or you can write your own algorithms.

Can you talk more about the different sources for noise with EEG?

Absolutely, noise is a big concern with EEG. The amplitude of the electrical signals measured at the scalp is not that big when compared with muscle movement from the head, neck, or face. We always recommend that researchers instruct the participants to relax, as a big source of noise is when participants tense up (e.g., clenching, moving neck). Any movements of the head or neck will create more noise. However, with mobile EEG, walking around actually does not contribute a lot of noise, so long as the participant relaxes the muscles in their upper body and face. One way to get around noisy measurements during an active task is to do a pre–post measurement: measuring brain activity prior to the task and immediately after the task.

How do you determine the minimum required sample size when using EEG data? In other words, how would you conduct a power analysis?

There are a lot of different factors to consider, such as where one is in the research process, to the number of variables in the design. Because I-O psychology is so new at incorporating neurophysiology, the studies are primarily pilot studies to establish capability. For pilot studies, 10 people in one group is often enough.

Can you talk a little bit more about LORETA, the source localization?

LORETA has been around for a couple of decades, and it is becoming more popular in the research field. It is a method that allows you to take the voltage measurements at the scalp from EEG, and use that data to reconstruct the source of the activity in the brain. So you’re able to map where the neuronal activity is generated in the brain using mathematical model. One caveat with LORETA is that it is primarily only run on resting state data. Because a lot of I-O researchers are interested in brain activity when participants are doing some type of task, LORETA could still be applicable for looking at baseline differences in the brain.

What about mobile EEG? What are some considerations to make when purchasing mobile equipment?

The researcher should determine the primary benefit he or she is hoping to get from a mobile system, because there are trade-offs for mobile EEG. If the research design calls for participants to engage in active tasks, and there will be some level of movement involved, mobile systems can actually provide better signals than wired systems, because the wires are often a source of signal noise when there’s physical movements. In addition, mobile EEG has an easier set up, is better for realistic unobtrusive settings (e.g., driving), and is more comfortable. We try to get the participants to forget that they are wearing the EEG.

What is the cost of EEG?

The medical/research grade mobile EEG systems usually range between $10,000 and $50,000.  Because a system is a combination of the right hardware with the best software for your application, you will want to consider the cost of both components when securing funding for an EEG system.  When evaluating options, consider the key analysis goals of the study—and many companies will offer complimentary software trials to help you make your decision.

What are some things to do when buying and using an EEG system for research?

1. Keep your goals in sight when setting up design.
2. Keep track of data quality during data collection.
3. Add objective metrics to supplement your questionnaires.
4. Know the outcome measures and surveys.

What are some common pitfalls with researchers attempting to purchase EEG?

One big thing is not having a big-picture idea of research goals before buying the system or not having a plan ahead of time on how to run subjects or how to analyze the data. Planning ahead can avoid the problem of trying to squeeze too much into a short amount of time. Avoiding these things can help researchers troubleshoot, get higher quality data, and be more prepared.

If you had no association with any EEG suppliers, what would your EEG shopping process look like?

Oh that’s a good question. I think I would at least have one research study in mind, because it allows you to prioritize the key aspects of the system that you need. It could be a combination of factors such as mobility, comfort, or safety. It also depends on your planned sample population. Most researchers are working with college-age, healthy participants, which definitely makes it easier in terms of choice. If you need IRB approval, then you might look for a system that has a good track record with IRB. Depending on the study, you might also want to go with a system that has been US FDA cleared.

Conclusions

Thank you to Stephanie Korszen from ABM for sharing some of the technical details about EEG equipment and investing in neurotechnologies. We hope it provided some useful insights into the processes of purchasing and using neurotechnologies in I-O psychology. There are several neurotechnologies available in addition to EEG, and we’re confident that I-O psychologists will be able to use these new tools to enrich I-O research and practice.

Reference

Senior, C. E., Russell, T. E., & Gazzaniga, M. S. (2006). Methods in mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Retrieved from http://0-psycnet-apa-org.library.alliant.edu/psycinfo/2007-02316-000