EEG Lab

EEG Lab

The EEG lab is equipped with a 64-channel system for AC/DC recordings (Brain Products GmbH), an electrically-shielded booth, and three workspace for EEG/ERP analysis (BrainAnalyzer, Brain Products GmbH). Electrical brain activity is recorded by means of modular EEG caps (EASYCAP) with ring Ag/AgCl electrodes.
Researchers in the EEG lab combine electrophysiological and behavioural techniques to study the neural bases of cognition, and in particular of perception, language and attention.
In addition, the lab lab also features an integrated desktop-mounted Eyelink 1000 (SR Research) Eye tracker. The EyeLink 1000 system has 1000 Hz sampling rate and is accurate up to 0.5°, with a resolution below 0.01°. TTL triggers from the display pc are acquired, allowing for data synchronization with the EEG recording system. Recording is controlled
by Visual C++ custom programs and wit Matlab Psychtoolbox+EyelinkToolbox. Online access to gaze position and gaze events data is available for performing gaze contingent experiments. 

Modular Silent Booth


The booth set up within the lab is a type G 2x2, 5F Modular Silent Booth built by the SISPE for Amplifon. Other than providing sound-attenuation the booth is equipped with a faradaic shield against elettromagnetic fields. Two wave guides and a properly shielded panel allow for the connection between equipment that is both inside and outside the booth. The 64 channel AC/DC recording system (BrainAmp, Brain Products GmbH) transmits data optically: the amplifiers located inside the booth are connected via fiber optics to a USB adapter (USB2 Adapter) upon which is also set up a 25-pin connector for transmitting markers. The recording occurs with the use of a dedicated PC, upon which is installed recording software (Brain Vision Recorder), and communicates with the computer in order to produce stimuli through the USB2 Adapter. The cap (modular EEG caps, EASYCAP) and electrodes (ring Ag/AgCl electrodes) set-up is done in a dedicated room adjacent to the lab, where the subject may wash up and at the end of the experiment. There is also a third room dedicated to data analysis with three workstations, each one set-up with a licensed version of BrainVision Analyzer.

EyeLink 1000 / 2K Desktop System


The “EyeLink 1000 / 2K Desktop System” ( SR-Research) was recently purchased in order to study eye movements. The system allows for eye movement recordings with a sample frequency of 500-1000 Hz, an accuracy greater than 0.5° and a resolution less than 0.01°. This particular system can be easily synchronized (TTL triggers and digital markers) with the EEG recording system while an absolutely necessary element is that it allows the subject to move freely and free from the use of other devices. By allowing the subject to move freely and not needing the use of other devices the system does not interfere with the EEG recording; in addition the use of TTL triggers and digital markers allows for synching up these two recording systems.