2-Minute Neuroscience: Electroencephalography (EEG)

Electroencephalography, or EEG, is a technique used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. In this video, I discuss the basics of EEG like what it measures, how it’s used, and some strengths and limitations. TRANSCRIPT: Electroencephalography, or EEG, is a technique used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. In EEG, electrodes are most commonly placed on the scalp of a patient, primarily to detect the electrical activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Typically, EEG does not record the activity of single neurons, but rather detects the signals created when populations of neurons are active at the same time. It mostly records signals from small areas of the brain surrounding each electrode. EEG is primarily measuring postsynaptic potentials, or changes in membrane potential that are elicited by neurotransmitters binding to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane. EEG provides an image of electrical activity in the brain represented as waves of varying frequency, amp