Wireless EEG for Neurological Research in Pediatrics

Wireless EEG headset could be used in research on neurological disorders to provide data on subjects’ subconscious responses in real time.

I guess it was just a matter of time before products that were traditionally developed for medical use became multipurpose in a really big way.

NeuroFocus, Inc., announced recently that they’ve developed a dry, wireless, lightweight EEG headset for use in marketing research that costs less and is easier to use than what is currently on the market. It’s called (drum roll, please): the Mynd™. And it’s being sold at the 75th Annual Advertising Research Foundation conference in New York City.

You can download test results to your iPhone. No, I’m not joking. You could potentially see medical-grade technology being leveraged by marketing research firms on shoppers at your local mall. The company has been tight-lipped about the price and I’m not privy to the information exchange at the conference, but I’m thinking the price is reasonable if NeuroFocus expects execs to whip out their checkbooks on site.

Personally, I think something like this device would be wonderful in pediatrics. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s FDA-approved for medical purposes. According to the press release, the Mynd is going to serve as a platform for the European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium (TOBI) in developing technology for use in patients with neurological disabilities.

I think there’s something a little ironic about a device traditionally sold for use by patients now being sold for use by consumers.