More Reliable EEG Electrode Digitizing Methods Can Reduce Source Estimation Uncertainty, But Current Methods Already Accurately Identify Brodmann Areas

Electroencephalography (EEG) and source estimation can be used to identify brain areas activated during a task, which could offer greater insight on cortical dynamics. Source estimation requires knowledge of the locations of the EEG electrodes. This could be provided with a template or obtained by digitizing the EEG electrode locations. Operator skill and inherent uncertainties of a digitizing system likely produce a range of digitization reliabilities, which could affect source estimation and the interpretation of the estimated source locations. Here, we compared the reliability of five digitizing methods (ultrasound, structured-light 3D scan, infrared 3D scan, motion capture probe, and motion capture) and determined the relationship between digitization reliability and source estimation uncertainty, assuming other contributors to source estimation uncertainty were constant. We digitized a mannequin head using each method five times and quantified the reliability and validity of each method. We created five hundred sets of electrode locations based on our reliability results and applied a dipole fitting algorithm (DIPFIT) to perform source estimation. The motion capture method, which recorded the locations of markers placed directly on the electrodes had the best reliability with an average electrode variability of 0.001cm. Then, in order of decreasing reliability were the method using a digitizing probe in the motion capture system, an infrared 3D scanner, a structured-light 3D scanner, and an ultrasound digitization system. Unsurprisingly, uncertainty of the estimated source locations increased with greater variability of EEG electrode locations and less reliable digitizing systems. If EEG electrode location variability was ~ 1 cm, a single source could shift by as much as 2 cm. To help translate these distances into practical terms, we quantified Brodmann area accuracy for each digitizing method and found that the average Brodmann area accuracy for all digitizing methods was > 80%. Using a template of electrode locations reduced the Brodmann area accuracy to ~ 50%. Overall, more reliable digitizing methods can reduce source estimation uncertainty, but the significance of the source estimation uncertainty depends on the desired spatial resolution. For accurate Brodmann area identification, any of the digitizing methods tested can be used confidently.