Ear-Borne Wearable EEG Proves Perfect for Comfortable Long-Term At-Home Sleep Studies
Researchers prove that a simple device worn in the ear can be just as good as a traditional EEG for sleep and health monitoring.
Researchers from T&W Engineering and Aarhus University have published a paper proving that it's possible to gather electroencephalogram (EEG) data on sleeping patients using a small device wearable on the ear — with just as good results as the far less comfortable scalp electrode approach.
"The most surprising results from the study were the stability of the ear-EEG neural characteristic over time and the systematic variation across individuals," explains lead researcher Dr. Martin Hemmsen. "The results are important because the study shows that simple, wearable EEG devices for home and unassisted use can monitor individual characteristics reliably."
"Future studies will explore if monitoring these individual characteristics over time can be used as a biomarker for early detection of neurological complications."
To prove the ear-EEG's capabilities, the team ran a two-phase in-home study over 20 participants. In the first phase, each wore both the in-ear sensor and a "partial polysomnography" setup with scalp-based EEG, electrooculography, and electromyography monitoring. For the second phase, ten participants were selected to be monitored with just the ear-EEG.
The result: "Nocturnal ear-EEG measures trait-like characteristics as reliable as scalp-EEG," the team's paper concludes. "The neural signature is stable over time within healthy subjects and demonstrated its ability as a personalized signature."
The team's work has been published under closed-access terms in the journal Sleep.