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Intracranial EEG · Electrocorticography and depth electrodes — millimetre-scale human recordings that reveal high-frequency dynamics surgery can see.

Reviewed 2026-08·Sources & research·Methodology·Media credits

At a glance
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Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.

Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology

Quick answers

What is intracranial EEG iEEG/ECoG?

Electrodes on or in the brain during clinical mapping — millimetre-scale timing that scalp EEG blurs. Teaching description of published methods.

When did Penfield-era cortical stimulation map speech?

Mid-20th-century Montreal work made awake mapping famous. Modern grids and stereo-EEG continue the classroom story without copying an OR checklist.

Is this a guide to implant surgery or dosing?

No. Educational methods atlas. Not a diagnosis, implant protocol, or medication dose.

What can iEEG resolve that scalp methods smear?

When and where populations engage during perception, speech, memory or movement — at scales scalp EEG averages away.

Research score 82 — a clinic ranking?

No. Editorial 0-100 in this methods field. Compare with EEG, fMRI and MEG neighbours.

Why do overview pages get clicks?

They name ECoG sites and cortical surface mapping early. Keep reading Overview, Anatomy, Function; do not self-schedule a procedure.

Start with this section - Methods

Wilder Penfield
Intracranial EEGUnited States National Library of Medicine · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Methods include implantation planning, continuous video-EEG, cortical stimulation, high-gamma analytics and careful statistics under sparse sampling.

Triangulate with imaging and behaviour; do not overclaim from a few contacts.

Tools

ECoG grids / strips

Surface sampling for mapping and research.

SEEG depth electrodes

3D network coverage with smaller openings.

Video-EEG monitoring units

Capture seizures with behavioural context.

Cortical stimulation systems

Causal mapping of language and motor function.

High-gamma / time-frequency toolkits

Extract task-related broadband power.

MRI co-registration

Locate contacts in individual anatomy.

Protocols

Pre-implant multimodal conference

Align hypotheses before electrode placement.

Ictal onset review boards

Consensus reading of seizure starts.

Cognitive task batteries (optional)

Only when clinically compatible and consented.

Sham / control contrasts in research

Guard against arousal confounds in high-gamma.

Limits

Sampling bias

Clinical targets ≠ random brain coverage.

Pathology confounds

Epileptic tissue may alter “normal” dynamics.

Generalisation limits

Findings from few patients need replication.

Preregister cognitive analyses when possible; clinical care comes first.

Sources & research

  1. Promises and limitations of human intracranial electroencephalographyParvizi J; Kastner S · 2018 · Nature NeurosciencePromises and limits of human iEEG.DOI
  2. High-frequency neural activity and human cognition: past, present and possible future of intracranial EEG researchLachaux JP; et al. · 2012 · Progress in NeurobiologyHigh-frequency activity and cognition review.DOI
  3. High-frequency gamma oscillations and human brain mapping with electrocorticographyCrone NE; et al. · 2006 · Progress in Brain ResearchHigh-gamma mapping with ECoG.DOI

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