Ocular artifacts in EEG recordings are commonly caused by movements of the eyes, such as blinking, eye flutter, and eye movements associated with eye opening and closure. These artifacts can mimic epileptiform discharges and other EEG patterns, making them important to recognize and differentiate.
Nature of
Ocular Artifacts:
o Ocular artifacts
are primarily due to the movement of the electrical dipoles created by the
eyes, particularly during activities like eye opening, closure, and directed
gaze.
o The movement of
these dipoles generates changing electrical fields that appear as EEG activity,
with characteristics such as slow waves and spikes.
o Ocular artifacts
are typically limited to the frontal region and do not extend into the central
region of the brain.
2. Differentiation
from Epileptiform Discharges:
o Ocular artifacts
can sometimes appear as bifrontal spike and slow wave complexes, resembling
interictal epileptiform discharges.
o However, the
field distribution and spike waveform of ocular artifacts differ from those of
epileptiform discharges, helping in their differentiation.
3. Characteristics
of Specific Ocular Artifacts:
o Eye Flutter
Artifact:
Rapid eyelid flutter producing flutter artifact in the alpha frequency range,
limited to the anterior frontal region.
o Slow Roving Eye
Movement Artifact: Characterized by shallow slopes and low voltage slow
activity, with electrode phase reversal locations similar to lateral eye
movement artifacts.
o Lateral Eye
Movement Artifact: Distinguished by a horizontal, frontal dipole and
abrupt transitions between positive and negative slopes.
4. Identification
and Differentiation:
o Using
supraorbital and infraorbital electrodes can help definitively differentiate
ocular artifacts from other patterns.
o The presence or
absence of eye movements, along with waveform differences, can aid in
distinguishing ocular artifacts from other EEG patterns.
These points
highlight the importance of understanding ocular artifacts in EEG
interpretation and the methods available to differentiate them from
epileptiform discharges and other patterns.
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