Effects of various typical electrodes and electrode gels combinations on MRI signal-to-noise ratio and safety issues in EEG-fMRI recording

To compare the effects of typical Ag/AgCl electrodes and electrode gels on MR images and assess safety hazards for patients during the electroencephalogram (EEG) data simultaneously with functional MRI (fMRI) recordings. So the measurements were conducted to compare the effects of three electrodes, three electrode gels and their combinations on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of MR images at 3 T. Local temperature variation of the phantom for all conditions was also measured in the scanner. Results show that combination of silver-plated copper electrode and electrode gel (composed of carbomer as its main ingredient, with 85% moisture) is best for EEG-fMRI experiments. A sintered Ag/AgCl electrode could also be used as the material of EEG cap if infra-slow EEG-events need to be acquired in EEG-fMRI recording. Additionally, there is no significant heat induction detected. Overall, the methods and results of this study can be used for selecting appropriate EEG electrodes and electrode gels in EEG-fMRI experiments.