Topic Help: EEG

[vik123]

Hello , I am a 9th grader looking to do a challenging and complicated science fair project this year that i can compete with (trying to reach ISEF). I have been looking for a topic for two months now but I haven't been able to find anything specific. I am looking in the fields of physics and biomedical engineering ( this was the general topics of my science fair projects from previous years and I am interested in these fields). Through my research, I have found one topic that seems interesting and that is EEG (Electroencephalography). I have read about it and done some research about it and learned that it detects brain waves and can supply us with information about sleep cycles, stress levels, etc. I was wondering if there is any challenging project that involves using EEG to either develop something (engineering project) or make a science fair project where i will measure and analyze the data from an EEG.

I have been thinking whether I could make a mobile/desktop application that could monitor sleep cycles of a person and manage it but I am aware that this already exists and I am unsure this would fit into a science fair project. I would appreciate any other ideas using EEG that is possible for me to do (preferably an advanced project). Also, if there might be any other challenging projects/topics that fall under this field, I would greatly appreciate it if you could enlighten me .
Time is not a concern (I have from now until about mid-February) except that I need a topic selection in about a week.

This is my first post on "Ask an Expert" and I am sorry if this is the wrong place to post this or if I have worded my question wrong.

Thank You for taking the time to read over this.

[SciB]

Hi Vik,

The brain and how it works is really an interesting subject but studying it usually requires expensive and complex equipment. I googled ‘build a brain wave monitor’ and found a couple of DIY plans for such a device but I don’t know how well it would work: http://www.instructables.com/id/Mini-Ar ... -Monitor-/
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-EEG ... G-Circuit/

I also searched for brain wave monitors that can be purchased and there are several--http://neurosky.com/products-markets/eeg-biosensors/ for example. I have no commercial interest in them and don’t know if they actually allow you to measure different kinds of brain waves accurately. There’s even a headband that is supposed to allow a person to monitor their brain waves using a smart phone: http://www.dvice.com/archives/2012/11/h ... lets_y.php

In regards to what kind of project you could do, assuming you could build or purchase a brain wave monitor, there are lots of possibilities:

--How do your brain waves change during exercise?
--Does meditation alter your BWs?
--Are there differences in waking BW patterns between men and women?
--What are your BWs like while you are playing an intense video game?
--Do your BWs change as a result of consuming an energy drink?

These are just some possible questions that I thought of quickly. I’m sure you and the other experts could come up with more ideas. We will be happy to help you with this advanced project, just let us know exactly how you want to approach it.

Good luck!

Sybee

[caraskl]

You might want to look up Elena Leah Glassman. She was one of the past winners of the ISEF science fairs. Her project involved developing computer algorithms that allow people with muscular disabilities to use computers with the help of EEG signals. You can find the article for her project on Research Gate.