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Comparative Study
. 2024 Dec 19;24(24):8108.
doi: 10.3390/s24248108.

Comparison of EEG Signal Spectral Characteristics Obtained with Consumer- and Research-Grade Devices

Dmitry Mikhaylov  1 , Muhammad Saeed  1 , Mohamed Husain Alhosani  1 , Yasser F Al Wahedi  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of EEG Signal Spectral Characteristics Obtained with Consumer- and Research-Grade Devices

Dmitry Mikhaylov et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) has emerged as a pivotal tool in both research and clinical practice due to its non-invasive nature, cost-effectiveness, and ability to provide real-time monitoring of brain activity. Wearable EEG technology opens new avenues for consumer applications, such as mental health monitoring, neurofeedback training, and brain-computer interfaces. However, there is still much to verify and re-examine regarding the functionality of these devices and the quality of the signal they capture, particularly as the field evolves rapidly. In this study, we recorded the resting-state brain activity of healthy volunteers via three consumer-grade EEG devices, namely PSBD Headband Pro, PSBD Headphones Lite, and Muse S Gen 2, and compared the spectral characteristics of the signal obtained with that recorded via the research-grade Brain Product amplifier (BP) with the mirroring montages. The results showed that all devices exhibited higher mean power in the low-frequency bands, which are characteristic of dry-electrode technology. PSBD Headband proved to match BP most precisely among the other examined devices. PSBD Headphones displayed a moderate correspondence with BP and signal quality issues in the central group of electrodes. Muse demonstrated the poorest signal quality, with extremely low alignment with BP. Overall, this study underscores the importance of considering device-specific design constraints and emphasizes the need for further validation to ensure the reliability and accuracy of wearable EEG devices.

Keywords: EEG device comparison; EEG signal quality; consumer-grade EEG devices; dry electrodes; spectral analysis; wearable EEG technology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The PSD plots for the signals obtained via PSBD-band, BP-band (BP-b), BP-headphones (BP-h), and PSBD-headphones (PSBD h-phones) in the open- and closed-eye conditions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The PSD plots for the signals obtained via Muse and BP-band (BP-b) in the open- and closed-eye conditions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The PSD plots for the signals obtained via PSBD-headphones and BP-headphones (BP-h) in the open- and closed-eye conditions.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The PSD plots for the signals obtained via PSBD band and BP-band (BP) in the open- and closed-eye conditions.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Box plots illustrating differences in the PSD values for the delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma rhythms obtained with Muse and BP-band in the closed-/open-eye conditions at the frontal site.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Box plots illustrating differences in the PSD values for the delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma rhythms obtained with PSBD-band, BP-band, PSBD-headphones, and BP-headphones in the closed-/open-eye conditions at the temporal site.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Box plots illustrating differences in the PSD values for the delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma rhythms obtained with PSBD band and BP-band in the closed-/open-eye conditions at the occipital site.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Box plots illustrating differences in the PSD values for the delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma rhythms obtained with PSBD-headphones and BP-headphones in the closed-/open-eye conditions at the central site.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Scatter plots depicting power values obtained with Muse and BP-band at the frontal site.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Scatter plots depicting power values obtained with PSBD band and BP-band at the temporal site.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Scatter plots depicting power values obtained with PSBD band and BP-band at the occipital site.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Scatter plots depicting power values obtained with PSBD headphones and BP-headphones at the temporal site.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Scatter plots depicting power values obtained with PSBD headphones and BP-headphones at the central site.
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