Validation of a low-cost EEG headband for language ERP research

Poster Session F - Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Sheraton Hall ABC

Hannah Hayes¹ (hb3v@mtmail.mtsu.edu), Cyrille Magne; ¹Middle Tennessee State University

Introduction: Motivated by the growing interest in using consumer-grade EEG devices for cognitive research, this study investigated the Muse 2 by InteraXon. While primarily designed to provide mindfulness feedback, the Muse 2 is a low-cost dry EEG headband, thus making it a notable contender in the field. The focus of this study was on its potential for language event-related potential (ERP) studies, specifically the N400 effect, which often serves as an indicator of cognitive effort needed to integrate unexpected words into the ongoing context. Methods: EEG was recorded in 35 participants while completing a semantic relatedness judgment task on visually presented word pairs. Words were sequentially displayed at the center of a computer screen. The second word of each pair was either related (N=56) or unrelated (N=56). The lab streaming layer protocol, along with several other open-source Python-based tools, was used to ensure precise time synchronization between EEG and stimulus streams. Results: Data preprocessing and statistical analysis were performed with the open-source EEGLAB software. Robust t-test showed a significant increased negativity for unrelated compared to related word pairs between 300 and 500 ms. Conclusion: The successful measurement of the N400 semantic relatedness effect underscores the potential of the Muse 2 for language ERP research. Its affordability and portability position it as a promising alternative to traditional EEGs, potentially democratizing ERP research in certain contexts. Furthermore, it paves the way for large-scale data collection and broadens access to a diverse population who may otherwise face challenges in participating in lab-based research.

Topic Area: METHODS: Electrophysiology