Capturing externally generated signals in the brain / body

edited July 2018 in Research
Hi,

Recently, the US Government was forced to release information surrounding the possible risks of long-term cell phone usage. The state of California was ordered to release this information after Joel Moskowitz, Ph.D, a director at University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, sued the state under the California Public Records Act. Many studies on the effects of cell phone usage and signal penetration into the brain have been completed, such as this one here.

One of the many reasons I purchased this OpenBCI equipment was so that I could attempt to find stray signals in the brain generated by external sources. I am attempting to do so using my UltraCortex Mark IV and Cyton with daisy board, while recording onto my SD card (maximum signal quality). You can read about my efforts here.

I have a few questions that I'd like to ask the group:
1) I know that we use filters to remove the 60Hz signals (or 50Hz depending on region). Are these being captured by the electronics themselves - or are they being read by the electrodes?
2) What is the shielding like on these devices? Can I reliably state in any of my findings that the signals extracted via my methods are being captured by the electrodes, and not in the wires or actual electronics themselves?
3) If not, then how best can I shield them from receiving externally generated signals? Could I wrap the wires using a copper braid and then soldier them to a common ground plane on the Cyton?

Thank you,
Don

Comments

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA
    Don, hi.

    You might find the research papers on the site below, give some indication of how even very low levels of EMF signals can alter cellular functioning. These signals are of such small levels that they can only be picked up by receivers or equipment designed for their reception. (Amplifiers / receivers tuned to that resonant frequency.)  Yet, they still alter cell function. I'm not including the emissions from cell phones held next the the head, that is another matter where even some microwave heating effects occur. These cellular effects occur even in the absence of direct microwave heating measurements (SAR ratings and such.)


    An "attempt to find stray signals in the brain generated by external sources" (via an EEG amplifier), is going to be very challenging, I would say almost impossible. Because you can't control all the variables in this situation: such as what the person is thinking or doing during the experiment. If you look at those research summaries, they are for the most part done on cell cultures. Or long term studies with lab animals. Where the conditions can be very controlled.

    But there are some papers in your area of interest.


    The Cyton rejects interfering external signals by a combination of hardware (differential amplifiers that reject common mode noise), and specific notch filters for mains noise. You could shield the electrode cables with braid, but I don't think you will find much difference. Much more noise is introduced just by the EEG cable lead motions, eye blinks, etc.

    Regards,

    William

  • Hi,

    Thank you for the insight!

    I have continued my research and continue to learn the mathematics required using MATLAB.  I am trying to determine the frequencies naturally generated by the brain.  You can review my progress here:
    http://generalfox.com/EEG_Research.htm

    I am wondering if anyone would be willing to share their EEG with me so that I can compare signals?

    Thanks,
    Don
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