My Experience
What I Did:
For my practicum, I was a research assistant for a brain imaging lab on campus. The purpose of the lab was to study the reading processes of people without dyslexia in order to later on compare it to the data of people with dyslexia. The PI believes that he has found a biomarker on dyslexia and is trying to collect all the data that he can. My responsibility as a research assistant was to greet the participant, prepare and apply the EEG, and to assist with cleaning up afterwards. I had the pleasure of working with other fantastic students and a great PI who aided me in expanding my knowledge in the lab. Eventhough the in-person part of the lab was cut short due to the school closure, I still get to participate in weekly meetings with the team via Zoom!
What I Learned:
From this experience, I learned all about EEGs like how they work and their importance in modern medicine. EEGs can be effectively used to study the brain waves of people as they read and speak which is exactly what we studied in the lab. I learned that even blinks can show up as peaks on the brain scan which can interfere with the actual brainwaves. The PI also gave us lectures on the background of EGGs, applications of EEGs and what computer programs are best used for analyzing them. This experience has sparked my interest in neuroscience and a greater appreciation for the brain. Aside from all the scientific knowledge I gained, I most importantly learned just how capable I am of anything I set my mind to!
Video Explanation
This video shows a basic representation of how to set up the EEG, insert the electrodes and apply the gel to the scalp appropriately.