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The Validation of the Finite Difference Method and Reciprocity for Solving the Inverse Problem in EEG Dipole Source Analysis

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Abstract

The performance of the finite difference reciprocity method (FDRM) to solve the inverse problem in EEG dipole source analysis is investigated in the analytically solvable three-shell spherical head model for a large set of test dipoles. The location error for a grid with 2 mm and 3 mm node spacing is in general, not larger than twice the internode distance, hence 4 mm and 6 mm, respectively. Increasing the number of scalp electrodes from 27 to 44 only marginally improves the location error. The orientation error is always smaller than 4° for all the test dipoles considered. We have also compared the sensitivity to noise using FDRM in EEG dipole source analysis with the sensitivity to noise using the analytical expression for the forward problem. FDRM is not more sensitive to noise than the method using the analytical expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics and Information Systems,, Ghent University,, Belgium

    Bart Vanrumste & Gert Van Hoey

  2. Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Department of Neurology,, Ghent University Hospital,, Belgium

    Bart Vanrumste, Gert Van Hoey, Michel R.P. D'Havè & Paul A.J.M. Boon

  3. Department of Electronics and Information Systems,, Ghent University,, Belgium

    Rik Van de Walle & Ignace A. Lemahieu

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  1. Bart Vanrumste
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  2. Gert Van Hoey
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  3. Rik Van de Walle
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  4. Michel R.P. D'Havè
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  5. Ignace A. Lemahieu
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  6. Paul A.J.M. Boon
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Vanrumste, B., Van Hoey, G., Van de Walle, R. et al. The Validation of the Finite Difference Method and Reciprocity for Solving the Inverse Problem in EEG Dipole Source Analysis. Brain Topogr 14, 83–92 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012909511833

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