Normative Structure of Resting-State EEG in Bipolar Derivations for Daily Clinical Practice: A Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Resting-state electroencephalography (rsEEG) is a valuable tool for assessing brain function.
• Establishing normative data is essential for interpreting individual rsEEG patterns.
• Previous studies have limitations in age range and montage standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a normative structure for resting-state EEG (rsEEG) in healthy individuals across a wide age range.
• To develop age-specific normative equations for EEG power bands and coherence.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of creating a standardized rsEEG normative framework.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study involving 37 healthy subjects aged 10-74 years.
• Utilized a double-banana bipolar montage for EEG acquisition.
• Analyzed artifact-free EEG epochs using spectral analysis, calculating power bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta), Shannon's spectral entropy, and coherence.

Main Results:

• Identified age-dependent distributions of EEG power bands and coherence across frontal, parieto-occipital, and temporal lobes.
• Developed normative equations stratified into three age groups: <20, 21-50, and >51 years.
• Demonstrated significant differences in band distribution and coherence among age groups and brain regions.

Conclusions:

• A normative structure for rsEEG, using a double-banana montage, is feasible.
• Age-specific normative equations provide a framework for interpreting rsEEG in healthy individuals.
• Findings highlight the importance of age and brain region in rsEEG analysis.