# Testing a Novel Dry Electrode Headset for Electroencephalography Telehealth

> **NIH VA I01** · RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Background: Many Veterans live far away from a VAMC with substantial electroencephalography (EEG)
expertise. Travel is difficult for epilepsy patients since they often cannot drive. We propose to study a novel dry
electrode system (DES) which does not require EEG technologists to operate and can be operated by a nurse
assistant. This DES integrates the electrodes and EEG amplifier into a compact headset which is easily placed
on the head (without skin preparation) and could be used in an epilepsy telemedicine outreach program along
with clinical interviews. We have performed three preliminary studies with DES headsets. In our first two
studies in 33 Veterans performed at a VAMC, we found that the DES was quick to apply, taking only 5-6
minutes to put on by a research subject with the assistance of a neurologist. Subjects preferred the DES
headset over the standard EEG system (SES). In our third study a nurse performed 30 DES recordings in a VA
community based outpatient clinic (CBOC). Rating of the EEG recordings on a five point scale by three board
certified clinical EEG experts (after automated EEG artifact reduction was applied to the recordings) showed
that all 30 recordings were of acceptable quality (rated 3 out of 5 or higher with some artifact present) and 18
of 30 recordings were of good quality (rate 4 or above with only minor artifacts present).
Significant Impact: This study will improve access of Veterans with epilepsy living in rural areas to the most
important diagnostic procedure for the care of patients with epilepsy: the routine EEG. Being able to perform
routine EEG in CBOCs can decrease cost to the VA system since DES EEG systems are less expensive and
because Veterans will not have to travel to VAMCs for EEG. This study will also test the DES system to make
sure it can record epileptiform transients (ETs), the pattern in EEG which indicates that patients have epilepsy.
Innovation: This study is innovative because it will use a new recording system for EEG that just got FDA
approval. This new DES EEG recording system provides a method for recording EEG which is cheaper and
much easier to perform than conventional EEG. This study is also innovative because it will test for the first
time if a DES can reliably record ETs. (The FDA approval for the DES system was based on EEG signal
quality only and not whether it could reliably detect ETs.) The study will also use a new FDA-approved method
for automatically removing artifactual signals which can obscure DES EEG recordings.
Specific Aims: The first aim of the project is to test the ability of the DES to record ETs versus the SES. The
second aim is to collect data on appointment wait time, appointment cancellation rate, and procedure cost of
DES versus SES to project the improvement in Veteran access and potential cost-benefit of DES EEG
performed in CBOCs versus SES EEG performed in VAMCs.
Methodology: This is a randomized controlled trial which will be performed at three sites: ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10187051
- **Project number:** 1I01HX003107-01A2
- **Recipient organization:** RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonathan Jacob Halford
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10187051

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10187051, Testing a Novel Dry Electrode Headset for Electroencephalography Telehealth (1I01HX003107-01A2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-04 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10187051. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*