<p>Steven J. Luck's "<a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0262621967">An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique</a>" is a great beginner's book on EEG. It's basic but not too simple, and it goes into the structure of the signals as well as into issues on experimental design. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-15T17:00:35.817Z
Yes, that is definitely a good book to start with. (+1)
H.Muster
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-16T11:53:12.203Z
Ok I got the book reading, but it is dry to do it without practice and seeing.... does anyone know something where I can to the practical with that book... I love lynda.com it is like showing you how is done...
Dakadaka
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-15T15:22:04.043Z
2013-05-15T15:51:52.810Z
2013-05-15T15:51:52.810Z
Ana
<p>Do you mean evoked potentials, or event-related potentials, or just straight-up EEG?  The general way to distinguish between the two is that EEG will tell you about state (aroused, asleep, etc) where evoked or event-related potentials will tell you about operations (processing sound/language/etc); evoked or event-related potentials also generally require more, and more discrete, trials than EEG.</p>

<p>I'd recommend running some simple experiments yourself (on whoever is hanging about) and then analysing them.    Do an auditory oddball experiment (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddball_paradigm">Wikipedia's article</a> is a pretty good intro) and analyse it; do a block experiment with basic state changes and analyse it.</p>

<p>I wouldn't start out trying to learn EEG AND program your own analysis suite at the same time; there are packages for EEG/ERP analysis in R (a free, open-source analysis language/platform) that will get you started much faster.  But in general, people learn this stuff in labs, and learn it by helping on more experienced people's projects, so there's very little formal introductory material.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-06T18:11:51.133Z
Krysta, I am familiar with EEGLab in Matlab, but I was wondering if there were any R packages for EEG analysis?
Mabu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-25T17:51:11.347Z
@Mabu There are https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/eegAnalysis/eegAnalysis.pdf and https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/eegkit/eegkit.pdf and least developed: https://github.com/tdeenes/eegR for a few. I think there are others, but was unable to find them quickly.
Doctorambient
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-22T14:37:06.920Z
2013-05-22T14:37:06.920Z
Krysta
<p>If you are considering an alternative to matlab that is free I would recommend octave. If you are on linux you might consider the whole neurodebian. In terms of book I did not find Steve Luck's book very helpful, but <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/event-related-potentials" rel="noreferrer">Todd Handy's</a> one was more suited for me. Also a very good book is van Drongelen's Signal Processing for Neuroscientists (cannot put the link sorry, not enough reputation), which includes matlab code with it. It is however tailored to a more technical audience. In terms of video I liked <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouBwwbiICDk" rel="noreferrer">these youtube video</a>. They are on brain computer interfaces, but the introduction also explains a bit about EEG. It is also a bit for the technically oriented.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-14T11:42:52.557Z
2017-02-14T11:42:52.557Z
HelloWorld
<p>I want to get started with getting signals from EEG and learning on how I can read data. I have some programming skills, so designing a database and manipulating data with ruby (python seems also cool, but never worked with) wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know where to start.</p>

<p>I'm interested in Neuromarketing because I'm working in advertising, but health is in my heart.</p>

<p>So can anyone please send me some books on what data I can get from EEG (theory) and what hardware should be good to use? Also books on how I can easily develop and calculate the data (emotiv sounds nice but not much electrodes and may not be working well, however for that money maybe good to begin with).</p>

<p>So something like getting started with EEG... Like with programming my first "Hello world" :)</p>

<p>UPDATE: Bought EPOC EEG Research edition :) And there I can even choose, I think I will go with ruby then :)
But still need some very basic book on how to get long with all that data, I had suggestion on Introduction to Event Related Potential Technique and is there some easier to learn video tutorial or book... real basics :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-16T18:12:34.003Z
By PyTom you mean this, right? http://www.biochem.mpg.de/en/rg/foerster/Content_Software/PyTom/index.html Was going to edit in a link for clarity but I'm not familiar with it so I'm not sure if that's what you mean
Zelda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-16T18:45:01.200Z
@BenBrocka: I would rather think that the OP refers to Python.
H.Muster
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-24T17:54:04.797Z
Epoc, Neurosky and similar consumer-grade "toys" provide some insight that there is activity going on, but are not sensitive enough to really take a look at what's going on in the brain. Many of these devices are based on the same microchip too.
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-22T09:42:32.817Z
Related: http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/13486/introduction-or-tutorial-on-continuous-eeg-collection-procedures-and-initial-pro
Robin Kramer-ten Have
<neuroscience><measurement><eeg>
Getting started with EEG data
Dakadaka
# Getting started with EEG data

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-05-15)

I want to get started with getting signals from EEG and learning on how I can read data. I have some programming skills, so designing a database and manipulating data with ruby (python seems also cool, but never worked with) wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know where to start.

I'm interested in Neuromarketing because I'm working in advertising, but health is in my heart.

So can anyone please send me some books on what data I can get from EEG (theory) and what hardware should be good to use? Also books on how I can easily develop and calculate the data (emotiv sounds nice but not much electrodes and may not be working well, however for that money maybe good to begin with).

So something like getting started with EEG... Like with programming my first "Hello world" :)

UPDATE: Bought EPOC EEG Research edition :) And there I can even choose, I think I will go with ruby then :)
But still need some very basic book on how to get long with all that data, I had suggestion on Introduction to Event Related Potential Technique and is there some easier to learn video tutorial or book... real basics :)

**Tags:** neuroscience, measurement, eeg

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: By PyTom you mean this, right? http://www.biochem.mpg.de/en/rg/foerster/Content_Software/PyTom/index.html Was going to edit in a link for clarity but I'm not familiar with it so I'm not sure if that's what you mean  
> **username_2**: @BenBrocka: I would rather think that the OP refers to Python.  
> **username_3**: Epoc, Neurosky and similar consumer-grade "toys" provide some insight that there is activity going on, but are not sensitive enough to really take a look at what's going on in the brain. Many of these devices are based on the same microchip too.  
> **username_4**: Related: http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/13486/introduction-or-tutorial-on-continuous-eeg-collection-procedures-and-initial-pro  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-05-15. Score: 10

Steven J. Luck's "[An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0262621967)" is a great beginner's book on EEG. It's basic but not too simple, and it goes into the structure of the signals as well as into issues on experimental design.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Yes, that is definitely a good book to start with. (+1)  
> **username_0**: Ok I got the book reading, but it is dry to do it without practice and seeing.... does anyone know something where I can to the practical with that book... I love lynda.com it is like showing you how is done...  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2013-05-22. Score: 7

Do you mean evoked potentials, or event-related potentials, or just straight-up EEG? The general way to distinguish between the two is that EEG will tell you about state (aroused, asleep, etc) where evoked or event-related potentials will tell you about operations (processing sound/language/etc); evoked or event-related potentials also generally require more, and more discrete, trials than EEG.

I'd recommend running some simple experiments yourself (on whoever is hanging about) and then analysing them. Do an auditory oddball experiment ([Wikipedia's article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddball_paradigm) is a pretty good intro) and analyse it; do a block experiment with basic state changes and analyse it.

I wouldn't start out trying to learn EEG AND program your own analysis suite at the same time; there are packages for EEG/ERP analysis in R (a free, open-source analysis language/platform) that will get you started much faster. But in general, people learn this stuff in labs, and learn it by helping on more experienced people's projects, so there's very little formal introductory material.

Good luck!

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: username_6, I am familiar with EEGLab in Matlab, but I was wondering if there were any R packages for EEG analysis?  
> **username_8**: @username_7 There are https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/eegusername_5lysis/eegusername_5lysis.pdf and https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/eegkit/eegkit.pdf and least developed: https://github.com/tdeenes/eegR for a few. I think there are others, but was unable to find them quickly.  

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### Answer by username_9 on 2017-02-14. Score: 5

If you are considering an alternative to matlab that is free I would recommend octave. If you are on linux you might consider the whole neurodebian. In terms of book I did not find Steve Luck's book very helpful, but [Todd Handy's](https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/event-related-potentials) one was more suited for me. Also a very good book is van Drongelen's Signal Processing for Neuroscientists (cannot put the link sorry, not enough reputation), which includes matlab code with it. It is however tailored to a more technical audience. In terms of video I liked [these youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouBwwbiICDk). They are on brain computer interfaces, but the introduction also explains a bit about EEG. It is also a bit for the technically oriented.


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