A two for one special: EEG hyperscanning using a single-person EEG recording setup

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology

Background:

• EEG hyperscanning records brain activity from multiple individuals simultaneously.
• Current methods often focus on slow neural oscillations, not transient event-related potentials (ERPs).
• Existing hyperscanning setups are costly, complex, and face synchronization challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified and synchronized EEG hyperscanning method.
• To enable the analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs) in naturalistic social interactions.
• To facilitate the study of neural responses to spontaneous speech during conversation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a single EEG system for simultaneous data acquisition from two participants.
• Integrated synchronized audio recording directly into the EEG data file.
• Developed post-hoc trigger insertion for precise time-locking of neural data to specific events.

Main Results:

• Successfully acquired synchronized EEG and audio data from conversational partners.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of deriving event-related potentials (ERPs) time-locked to spontaneous speech.
• Validated a cost-effective and less complex hyperscanning approach.

Conclusions:

• The described method offers a practical solution for EEG hyperscanning in naturalistic settings.
• This technique advances the study of social cognition and real-time human interaction.
• It opens new avenues for analyzing neural dynamics during spontaneous communication.