Day‐to‐day individual alpha frequency variability measured by a mobile EEG device relates to anxiety

Abstract

The individual alpha frequency (IAF) has previously been identified as a unique neural signature within the 8–12 Hz alpha frequency band. However, the day‐to‐day variability of this feature is unknown. To investigate this, healthy participants recorded their own brain activity daily at home using the Muse 2 headband, a low‐cost consumer‐grade mobile electroencephalography (EEG) device. Resting‐state recordings of all participants using a high‐density (HD) EEG were also collected in lab before and after the at‐home data collection period. We found that the IAF extracted from the Muse 2 was comparable to that of location‐matched HD‐EEG electrodes. No significant difference was found between these IAF values before and after the at‐home recording period for the HD‐EEG device. Similarly, there was also no statistically significant difference between the beginning and end of the at‐home recording period for the Muse 2 headband over 1 month. Despite the group‐level stability of IAF, the individual‐level day‐to‐day IAF variability carried mental health‐relevant information: Exploratory analyses revealed a relationship between IAF day‐to‐day variability and trait anxiety. We also noted that the IAF systematically varied across the scalp and although the Muse 2 electrodes do not cover the occipital lobe where alpha oscillations were the strongest, IAFs measured in the temporal lobe and occipital lobe were strongly correlated. Altogether, these results show that mobile EEG devices are useful for studying IAF variability. The relationship between day‐to‐day variability of region‐specific IAF and the dynamics of psychiatric symptoms, particularly anxiety, should be further investigated.

Remote Wearable Neuroimaging Devices for Health Monitoring and Neurophenotyping: A Scoping Review

“…In [40], the Muse 2 device was used to measure daily changes in individual alpha frequencies (IAF). The participants of this study were asked to undergo two high-density EEG (HD-EEG) sessions and fill in self-report questionnaires at a lab.…”

“…The Muse 2 device (an EEG headband) was used in [40]. NeuroSky Mindwave (an EEG headband) was used in [53].…”

“…Regarding the usability and feasibility of monitoring EEGs remotely using these headbands, ref. [40] reported that 72% of participants had 75% or more of their at-home recording sessions included in the final analysis. The participants were shown how to wear the Muse 2 device during the first in-person session.…”

“…Low correlation for AF7 and AF8 channels. HD-EEG data collected at the clinic [40] Agreement in sleep stage classification High (Cohen's Kappa = 0.72)…”

“…PSG data collected at the clinic [59] In [40], a thorough comparison of in-lab HD-EEGs and at-home EEGs was conducted to evaluate the data quality of the latter. First, the data from electrodes AF7 and AF8 conducted during at-home recordings were excluded from the analysis due to high variability across devices and recording sessions.…”