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Before the participant arrives

Swap out the amplifier battery with the fully charged battery on the charger
Confirm that headcaps and electrodes are clean and dry
Prepare supplies
- Fill syringes with SignaGel
- Double adhesive collars
- Cable wraps
- Paper towels
- External electrodes
Check that the head caps and electrodes are clean and dry
Test Button-box
- 0_dio_test.psyexp
Test DIO codes
- 0_dio_initialize.psyexp

When the Participant Arrives

Have the participant read and sign consent form
- Use the correct form depending on whether they want SONA or monetary compensation
- Don’t forget you need to sign the consent form too
Describe an overview of the procedure and experiments
Ask the participant to complete the STAI questionnaire
- Put the completed questionnaire under my door (or through the mail slot)
Make sure the participant understands the length of time they will be in the experiment and ask if they’d like to use the restroom
No chewing gum, hair down evenly, no hoodies
Electronics should be left outside the recording chamber
Jewelry should be removed, but can be put on the side table in the recording chamber
Log arrival time

Participant Preparation

Determining proper head cap size: measure in cm
- Measure head circumference just above the eyebrows and over the inion
  - 54-58 cm: Medium Cap (RED)
  - 56-60 cm: Medium/Large Cap (RED and BLUE)
  - 58-62 cm: Large Cap (BLUE)
Apply external electrodes (this can be done before the cap if necessary)
- Be sure the electrode collars are not covering the active part of the electrode
- Reference
  - EX1 left mastoid
  - EX2 right mastoid
- Horizontal electroculogram
  - EX3 next to left outer canthus
  - EX4 net to right outer canthus (if applicable)
    - See here for approximate location.
- Vertical electroculogram
  - EX5 and below the left eye
  - EX6 (if applicable) above the the left eye
    - See here for approximate location.
Put on cap
- If the participant requires glasses, have them wear them during cap fitting
- Visually inspect the cap to ensure it is on straight
Determine proper vertex location (i.e., electrode Cz)
- Anterior/posterior - Measure nasion to inion (divide by 2)
- Left/right - measure from left to right preauricular area (divide by 2)
- Double check that the cap is still straight now that you’ve made your adjustments
Ensure that the cap’s tag at the O1, Oz, O2 electrodes is pulled out
Apply gel to cap electrode holders
- Build columns of gel: fill from syringe, move hair around
- If participant is bald or has very short hair, start with minimal gel to avoid pooling
Insert electrodes into cap
- Be very careful not to stress the electrode leads where the wire meets the electrode
Wrap CMS/DRL three or four times around ribbon cables & EX leads
- Secure with cable wrap at nape of neck and also below the wraps
Bring the participant into VERONICA

Electrode Testing

Attach the ribbon cables and EX leads to the amplifier
- Be mindful of correctly aligning the connectors to their respective ports before you apply pressure
Attach the battery to the amplifier and turn on the power
Ensure the amplifier’s solid blue light is on indicating CM in range
Select the Electrode Offset tab in ActiView
- Check all 64 channels and also EX 1-6
- Electrodes should be should be between +/- 40 mV and not bouncing up and down
- If electrode is outside of range:
  - Try adding a bit more gel and parting hair with the syringe
  - Ensure the electrode is firmly in place
  - If many (all) of the electrodes are out of range, check CMS & DRL
  - Select the Monopolar Display tab in ActiView
- Look for channels that are drifting or seem particularly noisy
- Use same techniques above to correct bad channels
- Return to Electrode Offset tab and ensure all electrodes are still in range
Show the participant their alpha waves, EMG, and eye-blinks.
- Use this opportunity to emphasize why being relaxed, comfortable, and still is so important and why they should try to avoid blinking outside of the specified “blink times”
Turn ON and test intercom system
- Turn ON by pressing talk button
- Turn on Monitor Mode on the VERONICA intercom by pressing the Monitor button until you hear a tone
Place the LCD display such that the participant is ~70 cm away and that top of the display is roughly at the eye level of the participant.
Give the participants a few minutes to acclimate to the dim environment inside VERONICA before beginning the first task.
- Do the same whenever you’re transitioning from between bright and dim tasks (e.g., from a paradigm that uses the anaglyph glasses to one that does not)

Running Experiments

On the display and acquisition computers:
- Turn off the WiFi
- Pause Dropbox
- Close all unnecessary programs
Create an EEG file in ActiView
- Press Start File
- Press OK on popup window
- Enter filename
- At this point the file has been created, but it is NOT recording
Prepare to run the paradigm in PsychoPy
- Be sure to enter the participant’s “p” number as it is saved in the EEG file
Recording EEG data - START
- Most of our experiments will automatically trigger the ActiView system to being recording. When PsychoPy' begins the experiment you should confirm in the ActiView window that the button above the Pause button has turned from red to green and displays SAVING* If you are running an experiment that does not automatically trigger EEG recording (unlikely), you would press thePausebutton to begin recording * Recording EEG data – STOP * Most of our experiments will automatically pause EEG data recording when the experiment is over. However, you still need to terminate the session (i.e., close the file) * Press theStopbutton * Remember to check in on the participant via the intercom between experiments and to make sure they know what is expected of them for the next experiment ====== After Experimental Session Is Complete ====== * Take picture of participant with the cap on (if they’d like one) * Remember to email this picture and a screenshot of their EEG to the participant * Carefully remove all of the EX electrodes * Carefully remove the cap * Give the participant paper towels and allow them to clean up * On the display and acquisition computers: * Turn on theWiFi* UnpauseDropbox* Debrief the participant * Tell them the goal of the studies that were run and give them the opportunity to ask any questions that they have * Log the completion time * Compensate the participant * If money, pay them and have them sign the Payment Verification form * IfSONA, email Prof. Engell with the participant’s name, credit earned, and which class they would like it applied to * Email Prof. Engell if we are low on any forms or subject payment funds (< $80) * Mount theKPNL_Participant_Info.dmgvirtual drive * Enter your handwritten run sheet and notes into the Excel file * Keep the run sheet in the lab folder * Save the Excel file * Unmount theKPNL_Participant_Info.dmgvirtual drive * Turn OFF the intercoms * Press and hold theVolume Down'' button for 3 seconds
Turn off lights and fan in VERONICA

Cleaning Up

Remove the adhesive collars from the EX electrodes and set aside
Remove the EEG electrodes from the cap
- Do not pull on the lead or cause any strain where the lead connects to the electrode
Fill a plastic bucket with warm water (never hot) and submerge the electrodes
- Be sure that the connector end of the lead is kept dry!
Clean the electrodes in the water
- Avoid touching the active part of the electrodes
- The electrodes are clean when they no longer feel slimy (no more gel residue)
- Set electrodes on a wee-wee pad to dry
  - Splay them out and untangle any tangled leads
Clean the gel out of the electrode holders by spraying water through the holes
Clean the cap in a bucket of warm water
- A small amount of Dove soap can be used

Kenyon Psychological Neuroscience Lab

Table of Contents

Before the participant arrives

When the Participant Arrives

Participant Preparation

Electrode Testing

Running Experiments

Cleaning Up