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Effects of Electrode Placement Upon EEG Biofeedback Training: The Monopolar-Bipolar Controversy

STS Instructor Authored by Thomas Collura

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Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: Effects of Electrode Placement Upon EEG Biofeedback Training: The Monopolar-Bipolar Controversy.

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Study at a glance

Area
QEEG, Methods & Mechanisms
Authors
Fehmi LG, Collura TF
Journal
Journal of Neurotherapy
Year
2007
Protocol
referential vs bipolar electrode montages

Key findings

  • The differential amplifier removes activity that is synchronous at both electrodes, so bipolar recordings can hide shared brain activity
  • Habit, convenience and artifact rejection, rather than signal content, often drive the choice of montage
  • Controlled demonstrations show that electrode placement changes the EEG information obtained
  • Recommends preferred placements and practical fixes for frequent recording problems

DOI 10.1300/j184v11n02_04 →

This paper examines the long-running debate over referential (monopolar) versus bipolar electrode montages, with a focus on what the choice means for neurofeedback. It explains how the differential amplifier works and argues, from both reasoning and observation, that any activity common to the two recording electrodes is cancelled out and lost. Controlled demonstrations are used to show how strongly placement shapes the recorded signal, and practical placement recommendations are offered for common recording problems.