An Introduction to EEG/MEG for Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience

Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are closely related non-invasive recording techniques that are of great value in cognitive neuroscience studies with human participants. They are sensitive to, respectively, changes in electric and magnetic fields that are generated by post-synaptic currents on spatially aligned pyramidal cells in cortex. The superior time resolution of EEG/MEG compared to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows for tracking changes in neural activity during the subject’s performance of a behavioural task with high temporal precision. This chapter introduces the biophysics behind EEG/MEG recordings, discusses practical issues when conducting an experiment, and highlights the most important signal features for the field of cognitive neuroscience. Furthermore, it illustrates how the combination of cognitive modelling and EEG/MEG may aid a meaningful interpretation of experimental findings.