NAME: Zwade Phillips

ID NUMBER: 816012477

LAB: Electrooculogram (EOC)

COURSE: Physics 0503

DATE: 26/06/2023
Abstract

The biomedical potential (electrooculogram) introduced to the student was introduced and

recorded through a series of different experiments. A participant was volunteered to have three

electrodes connected to the head and placed to sit gazing directly in front of the volunteer (90° ¿

while the EOG pod was calibrated. Before placement of the leads, the three spots on the head

was scrubbed with alcohol and permitted to dry. The first experiment was done by observing the

graphical waves formed by blinking several times while the other group participant commented

on the field “blink”. The volunteers then clenched their teeth and observed the wave pattern

formed while another group participant commented on the field “EMG”. The second experiment

was done looking at angles from the farthest left for a few seconds then commenting “0”. This is

repeated at each angle from left to right commenting on the corresponding angle each time. The

third experiment was carried out by reading a paragraph from a book while commenting on the

field, “fast tracking”. Then, holding a pencil 50cm away, the volunteer fixated their eyes on the

object while it was moved slowly left to right without the volunteer moving their head. The last

experiment was carried out by looking straight at the center mark and rapidly turning their head

left to right (the field comment was made as nystagmus). Zoom view was then used to analyze

the waveforms of the EOG amplitude and the saccades.

Introduction

The human eye comprises of 6 muscles which group into 3 pairs controlling the horizontal,

vertical and torsional axis. Each pair of muscles, medial and lateral rectus in the horizontal, the

superior and inferior rectus muscles in the vertical axis and the superior oblique and inferior
oblique muscles in the torsional axis, are antagonistic to each other or acting to opposite

directions. These muscles are controlled by motor neurons. Because of the presence of higher ion

channel and neuron processes the retina is a negative pole and the cornea a positive pole giving

rise to a potential difference. The electrooculogram (EOG) was used to analyze the potential

difference between the electric dipoles, recording the movements and angular displacement of

the eye. In this experiment, the voltage was obtained by connecting three leads to different parts

of the head, the center of the forehead and the two corners of the eyes near the lateral and medial

canthus. Any movement of the eyes permits the electrodes to observe the positive cornea and the

other electrode the negative retina. (Potential difference), permitting the electrodes to obtain and

amplify these bioelectrical signals that would be recorded by the machine (usually, 4 or 5

electrodes are used in these experiments). The two types of movement that were analyzed in this

experiment were the saccade which is the reflex action done to focus the image on the fovea and

optokinetic nystagmus which is the tracking of a moving stimuli. (Whitmer 2021). Each having a

unique electrical change that can be interpreted.

It was observed in the experiment that the EOG signal was proportional to the displacement of

the eye hence the potential increases as the cornea approaches the electrode and decreases as the

inverse occurs. If the eyes remain stationary or gaze, the eye leads do not record a signal as the

electric potential remains a particular value. “Change in relative position is zero and the eye

leads do not record a signal” (Sheldon, 2014). The equipment used in this experiment include an

electrooculogram, stationary equipment (pencils, pens) and a healthy cognitive candidate. The

stationary equipment was used for marking the degrees at which the volunteer gazed to analyze

slow tracking while the pen was mobilized slowly left to right at a particular distance to analyze

the fast tracking. The EOG also showcases other bioelectrical signals such as eye blinks or facial
muscles and are categorized as artifacts. These artifacts tend to illustrate “high frequency noise

and plateau like waveforms” different to the waveforms showcased by eye movement. (Chang,

2019). As such, its recognition is important in the evaluation of the data.

Theory

The human eye is an organ which converts light energy into impulses enabling overlapping

visual fields that produce stereovision. The eyes are controlled by small muscles called the

extrinsic eye muscles. They permit the eyes to track moving or stationary objects as the head

moves. Gaze-shifting, an involuntary action that adjust the eyes to focus on the fovea, giving the

highest visual acuity, results in saccades, which is the spasmodic tracking movement of the eye

on an object. The eyes’ movements are also linked to the vestibular system and the fluid that

moves within, so if one’s head moves quickly, the eyes must move in response to the fluid. This

is called Nystagmus and is often related to vertigo.

An electro-oculogram (EOG) can record eye movements using electrodes placed near the eyes

by reading the voltage difference between the cornea and the retina. This device can also be used

to measure the response of the retina to light but note that the current changes in intensity based

on the amount of light that enters the eye.

*printed waveforms illustrated on page below*

Table #1 showing amplitude and angular displacement measurements.

Angular displacement Amplitude (mV)

0 0.960

15 1.073

30 1.194

45 1.202

60 1.243

75 1.254

90 1.270

Table #2 showing the saccade and saccade duration.

Saccades Duration (ms)

Saccade 1 16.155

Saccade 2 21.396

Saccade 3 26.036

Saccade 4 31.995

Saccade avg 23.994

Average calculated (16.155 + 21.396 + 21.296 + 26.036 + 31.995) ÷ 4 = 23.994ms

Table #3 illustrates the EOG parameters during nystagmus.

Max EOG amplitude left 0.989 (mV)

Max EOG amplitude right 1.003 (mV)

Saccade Duration 186 (ms)

Saccade duration: 5.592 – 5.406s = 0.186s

Convert to milliseconds = 186ms

Diagram illustrates the plotted graph of EOG Amplitude vs Angular Displacements.

TITLE: Amplitude vs Angular displacement

1.2

1
Amplitude (mV )

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Angula displacement (degrees)

Figure .1

Discussion
The voluntary blinking and teeth clenching was done in the first part of the experiment and

illustrated on page 1 (blink and EMG comment). Blink artifacts are “conjugate vertical eye

movements which occur between 0.5 to 2 Hz” (Chokroverty & Bhat, 2014). These test were used

to observe the presence of further artifacts in the rest of the experiments and interpret the data

accurately. The blink artifacts were present in all experiments excluding the nystagmus

recording.

Figure 1 illustrates a graph which starts at a value of (0.960mV) at the farthest left (0° ) of the

volunteer and increases in small increments to a max displacement of (1.270mV) at (90° )

directly in front of the volunteer. The relationship between the EOG and the angular

displacement can be interpreted as linear which plateaus as the displacement increases. The

graph between the EOG and displacement obtained this result due to the resting potential being

6mV (lowest point), meaning the graph cannot begin at the origin (0) or at any point below the

resting potential. The graph also plateaus because of the maximum displacement of the human

eye which can be estimated to be 100° and not exceeding this due to muscular restriction and

orientation of the ocular organ.

Rapid Adjustments of the eyes to maintain the line of sight falling on the fovea (area with the

highest density of photoreceptors). In doing this numerous eye movements whether reflexive or

voluntary can be interpreted with a high acuity as fast as possible. This essential as humans rely

heavily on their vision to perceive surroundings and efficiently perform tasks.

While reading, saccades were observed in the data. The analysis of the wave patterns of the

saccades, being characterized by short rise, plateau and fall waves, illustrating numerous

saccades while the volunteer read. This is due to the constant readjustment of the image/words

on the fovea to maximize acuity and interpretation of the words.

EOG recording as more or less eye movements may be required (Whitmer, 2021c).

Fast tracking is the rapid movements of the eye 900 Hz, back and forth while the object is

moving rapidly. In this experiment the average saccade obtained during the fast tracking was

determined to be 23.994ms. Saccades also occurred during slow tracking with less appearances

and longer intervals than that of the fast-tracking graph. Slow tracking is a feature used to track

distant moving objects and slow moving near objects (occurs in the 3 – 40 Hz).

Smooth tracking occurred as the volunteer kept focus on a mobile pencil from left to right. The

data obtained from that exercise illustrated a graph with resemblance in shape to a sinusoidal

graph. Both saccades and smooth tracking are utilized together to minimize errors in the retinal

positioning (fovea) and the velocity. Important to note that smooth tracking is controlled by

overlapping neural networks.

The data obtained from the nystagmus experiment showcased large displacements in the

amplitudes which began and stopped as the volunteer commenced and ceased the head shaking.

This best showcased a phenomenon known as vestibular ocular reflex (VOR). Vestibular ocular

reflex is an involuntary action also known as a phasic response which keeps the eyes focused on

an image while the head rotates. It does this when the semicircular canals transmit signals to the

motor neurons of the oculomotor muscles which move the eyes at the same speed as the head to

keep the image stationary on the retina.

 The patient should move their eyes smoothly when tracking the mobile object .

 Ensure the leads are placed properly to maximize the accuracy of the results.

 The volunteer must remain still and not talk during the experiment as the facial muscles

can contribute to further artifacts within the results.

Conclusion

The students were introduced to the working of biomedical potentials particularly the

electrooculogram (EOG). Experiments were conducted to observe the change in potential

difference in the eyes and the mechanisms which facilitate and adjust to these movements. The

graphical results of the experiment could have been improved by the volunteer making slower

and more emphasized actions to better illustrate the mechanisms observed such as the blinking

artificial. The EOG can be used in the medical field to observe sleep patterns, the analysis of

retinal development and examining hearing and balance.

 Chang, W. H. (2019). Electrooculograms for Human–Computer Interaction: A

Review. Sensors, 19(12), 2690. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19122690

 Whitmer, K. H. (2021b, February 1). The Electrooculogram.

Pressbooks. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/curehumanphysiology/chapter/the-

electrooculogram/

 EOG | ADInstruments.

(n.d.). https://www.adinstruments.com/signal/eog#:~:text=An%20EOG

%20records%20eye%20movement,the%20skin%20at%20fixed%20points.