[FieldTrip] Question regarding the suitability of source localization models for in-ear electrodes

[Motaghi, P. (Pouria)]

Hello again,

I am sending this email since I thought maybe providing you with this paper (DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00943) would be of help to help me with my inquiries. In this paper, they have tested an improved head model for ear-EEG that I think I can use to solve some of the limitations I mentioned in my previous email. I would appreciate any tips on implementing this head model in FieldTrip. I am going to contact them to ask if they can send me the tested head model. Should I also request any additional information or materials necessary for implementing their head model in FieldTrip?

Thank you.

Kind regards,
Pouria

From: Motaghi, P. (Pouria)
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2026 3:07 PM
To: 'fieldtrip at science.ru.nl' <fieldtrip at science.ru.nl>
Cc: Jongsma, M.L.A. (Marijtje) <marijtje.jongsma at ru.nl>; Drijvers, L. (Linda) <linda.drijvers at donders.ru.nl>; Lubbe, Rob van der (UT-BMS) <r.h.j.vanderlubbe at utwente.nl>
Subject: Question regarding the suitability of source localization models for in-ear electrodes

Dear FieldTrip community/developers,

I hope my email finds you well.

My name is Pouria and I am in the third year of my PhD at Radboud. During my PhD we have designed an in-ear electrode and we would like to test the added value of it in detecting the sources involved in fear/threat processing. For this, I would like to compare the source models with and without the in-ear electrodes. We do not have individual head models and we have calculated the coordinates of the in-ear electrodes by estimating them using the length of the in-ear electrodes (20 mm). Here are the coordinates:
Left in-ear electrode: theta: -122, phi : 0, radi: 0.77
Right in-ear electrode: theta: 122, phi : 0, radi: 0.77

We were thinking if we give the models these inputs, would they take it into account that these electrodes are outside of the skull or because the radii coordinates are less than 1 the model might think that these two electrodes are located inside the skull and therefore not take the skull, scalp, etc into consideration in estimating the source? Also since these two electrodes are placed inside the ear canal, I was thinking if the head model makes a distinction between the tissue layer covering the ear canal and the tissue layer covering the skull (i.e., scalp). In general, I am not sure how accurate the standard head model is in taking the actual location of the in-ear canal electrodes into account. Would you be able to help me with this? Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Kind regards/Met vriendelijke groeten,

Pouria Motaghi, M.D. | PhD Candidate | Behavioural Science Institute | Radboud University

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