Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering

National Institute of Technology, Rourkela

BLINK ! BLINK ! BLINK; THE STORY OF EOG

Emil du Bois-Reymond (1848) observed that the cornea of the eye is electrically positive relative to the back of the eye. Elwin Marg named the electrooculogram in 1951 and Geoffrey Arden (Arden et al.
1962) developed the first clinical application.

THE BASIC EOG

This positive potential behaves as if it were a single dipole oriented
from the retina to the cornea.
Such corneoretinal potentials are well established and are in the range
of 0.4 - 1.0 mV .
Eye movements thus produce a moving (rotating) dipole source and,
accordingly, signals that are a measure of the movement may be
obtained .
The chief application of the EOG is in the measurement of eye
movement.

Figure 1: Basic EOG recording

MEASURMENT OF CLINICAL
EOG
The calibration of the signal may be achieved by having the patient look
consecutively at two different fixation points located a known angle apart and
recording the concomitant EOGs .
By attaching skin electrodes on both sides of an eye the potential can be
measured by having the subject move his or her eyes horizontally a set
distance .
Typical signal magnitudes range from 5-20 V/.

Figure:2 How the EOG potential is measured

as the eye moves towards and away from skin
electrodes

STANDARD
MEASUREMENT
METHOD
After training the patient in the eye
movements, the lights are turned off.
About every minute a sample of eye
movement is taken as the patient is
asked to look back and forth
between the two lights .
Some laboratories have the patients
move their eyes the entire testing
period.
After 15 minutes the lights are
turned on and the patient is again
asked about once a minute to move
his or her eyes back and forth for
about 10 seconds.

Figure 3: Placement of the electrodes for

recording EOG

INSTRUMENTATION FOR EOG MEASUREMENT

Amplifiers: for the low pass filter, 30 Hz is sufficient.

Amplifier saturation: EOG potentials measured during saccadic eye movements can vary by about 5:1 in amplitude between subjects, which, with the light
rise, may mean a total amplitude range of up to 15:1. thus, the operator must be able to see the recordings of the saccades to ensure saturation dose not occur,
and to adjust the amplifier gain setting accordingly.
Arden ratio: the Arden ratio is the peak EOG amplitude occurring in the light phase, divided by the minimum amplitude during the dark phase.
Compliance of the patient: some patient suffer claustrophobia or fear of the dark, and so the testing must be perform in such a way as to minimize these fears.
In most cases, coaching under observation can remedy poor co-operation
Electrodes: recording the EOG is relatively undemanding as regards the electrodes. These should be relatively non-polarisable such as standard medical EEG
or ECG electrodes, of a size appropriate for attachment to the side of the nose.
Full field (Ganzfield) stimulator: this should be as large as practicable to allow adequate distance from eye to fixation lights. It should have a chin rest and
forehead bar to ensure stable head position.
Plotting: the average EOG amplitude calculated from each 10 second trial should be potted. It is helpful if any uncertain values have been identified and
marked at the time of recording, so that they can be ignored when identifying the underlying curve.
Pupil dilation: having dilated pupils means less variability in the light entering the eye. If pupils are not artificially dilated, then the report should state this.

Figure 4: Normal EOG recording

Designed By :

Name: DINIL SASI.S

Roll No: 214BM1459