BNCS311
INTRODUCTION TO BRAIN AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES

Electroencephalography (EEG) Brain Imaging: Function, Pros and Cons

Submit To:
Prof. Dr. Christian Wallraven
Cognitive Systems Lab
Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering wallraven@korea.ac.kr Done by:
Dk Norhaziratulbillah Pg Hj Hashim
2015951229
Visiting Student Program (VSP)

Spring 2015
One of the most complex systems that researchers are continuously demand to understand is the human brain. The human brain consists of billions of nerve cells or neurons connected via electrical and chemical activities (NeuroPro). In the early 20th century, German physiologist and psychiatrist named Hans Berger was the first to record these electrical activities in the brain
Furthermore, EEG is capable of providing both spatial and temporal resolution regarding brain function (Michel & Murray, 2012). The temporal resolution refers to how fast it can identify a change in brain signal whereas the spatial resolution differentiates the changes in signal across different spatial locations (Allen). According to Taylor, Walsha and Eimer (2008), the temporal resolution of EEG is limited by sampling rate which obtained around 1000 Hz while single electrodes of EEG usually record changes in activity from a large volume of brain which results in low EEG spatial resolution.
The EEG allows the formation of topographic maps that directly records the brain neuronal activity resulting a superb temporal resolution (Wallraven, 2015). This is the fundamental point of interest of the EEG because changes in the brain's electrical activity can happen rapidly which often requires amazingly high time resolution in order to determine when and where these electrical events take place in the brain (Zion-Golumbic). In contrast with other brain recording tools that require inserting electrodes into the brain, electrodes in the EEG machine are basically place on the scalp, which would not give any pain to the person being examined (Wallraven, 2015). Due to its non-invasive technique, it can provide researchers a better access to human brain and further examines its activity (Zion-Golumbic). Furthermore, EEG equipment is rather inexpensive and