Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG

We present a method for spatially resolving the electric field potential throughout the entire volume of the human brain from electroencephalography (EEG) data. The method is not a variation of the well-known ‘source reconstruction’ methods, but rather a direct solution to the EEG inverse problem ba...

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Main Authors: Lawrence R Frank, Vitaly L Galinsky, Olave Krigolson, Susan Tapert, Stephan Bickel, Antigona Martinez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 2025-06-01
Series:eLife
Subjects:
Online Access:https://elifesciences.org/articles/100123
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author Lawrence R Frank
Vitaly L Galinsky
Olave Krigolson
Susan Tapert
Stephan Bickel
Antigona Martinez
author_facet Lawrence R Frank
Vitaly L Galinsky
Olave Krigolson
Susan Tapert
Stephan Bickel
Antigona Martinez
author_sort Lawrence R Frank
collection DOAJ
description We present a method for spatially resolving the electric field potential throughout the entire volume of the human brain from electroencephalography (EEG) data. The method is not a variation of the well-known ‘source reconstruction’ methods, but rather a direct solution to the EEG inverse problem based on our recently developed model for brain waves that demonstrates the inadequacy of the standard ‘quasi-static approximation’ that has fostered the belief that such a reconstruction is not physically possible. The method retains the high temporal/frequency resolution of EEG, yet has spatial resolution comparable to (or better than) functional MRI (fMRI), without its significant inherent limitations. The method is validated using simultaneous EEG/fMRI data in healthy subjects, intracranial EEG data in epilepsy patients, comparison with numerical simulations, and a direct comparison with standard state-of-the-art EEG analysis in a well-established attention paradigm. The method is then demonstrated on a very large cohort of subjects performing a standard gambling task designed to activate the brain’s ‘reward circuit’. The technique uses the output from standard extant EEG systems and thus has potential for immediate benefit to a broad range of important basic scientific and clinical questions concerning brain electrical activity. By offering an inexpensive and portable alternative to fMRI, it provides a realistic methodology to efficiently promote the democratization of medicine.
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spelling doaj-art-3ba416ad461f415e9d5a7558d582c7d82025-08-20T02:03:00ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-06-011310.7554/eLife.100123Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEGLawrence R Frank0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7235-587XVitaly L Galinsky1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0420-6834Olave Krigolson2Susan Tapert3Stephan Bickel4Antigona Martinez5University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United StatesUniversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United StatesUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, CanadaUniversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United StatesNathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, United States; Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, New York, United StatesFeinstein Institute for Medical Research, New York, United StatesWe present a method for spatially resolving the electric field potential throughout the entire volume of the human brain from electroencephalography (EEG) data. The method is not a variation of the well-known ‘source reconstruction’ methods, but rather a direct solution to the EEG inverse problem based on our recently developed model for brain waves that demonstrates the inadequacy of the standard ‘quasi-static approximation’ that has fostered the belief that such a reconstruction is not physically possible. The method retains the high temporal/frequency resolution of EEG, yet has spatial resolution comparable to (or better than) functional MRI (fMRI), without its significant inherent limitations. The method is validated using simultaneous EEG/fMRI data in healthy subjects, intracranial EEG data in epilepsy patients, comparison with numerical simulations, and a direct comparison with standard state-of-the-art EEG analysis in a well-established attention paradigm. The method is then demonstrated on a very large cohort of subjects performing a standard gambling task designed to activate the brain’s ‘reward circuit’. The technique uses the output from standard extant EEG systems and thus has potential for immediate benefit to a broad range of important basic scientific and clinical questions concerning brain electrical activity. By offering an inexpensive and portable alternative to fMRI, it provides a realistic methodology to efficiently promote the democratization of medicine.https://elifesciences.org/articles/100123electroencephalographyEEGneuroimagingbrain wavesSPECTREfunctional magnetic resonance imaging
spellingShingle Lawrence R Frank
Vitaly L Galinsky
Olave Krigolson
Susan Tapert
Stephan Bickel
Antigona Martinez
Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
eLife
electroencephalography
EEG
neuroimaging
brain waves
SPECTRE
functional magnetic resonance imaging
title Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
title_full Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
title_fullStr Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
title_full_unstemmed Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
title_short Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG
title_sort imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved eeg
topic electroencephalography
EEG
neuroimaging
brain waves
SPECTRE
functional magnetic resonance imaging
url https://elifesciences.org/articles/100123
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AT vitalylgalinsky imagingofbrainelectricfieldnetworkswithspatiallyresolvedeeg
AT olavekrigolson imagingofbrainelectricfieldnetworkswithspatiallyresolvedeeg
AT susantapert imagingofbrainelectricfieldnetworkswithspatiallyresolvedeeg
AT stephanbickel imagingofbrainelectricfieldnetworkswithspatiallyresolvedeeg
AT antigonamartinez imagingofbrainelectricfieldnetworkswithspatiallyresolvedeeg