Influence of Physical Models of Electrodes on Rat’s Head Forward Modelling

Abstract

Reliable inverse imaging of source currents in rat’s brain requires accurate models of fields and interfaces. Accuracy of field models can be influenced by a proper representation of electrodes used for sensing potentials. In the paper, we study the effect of realistic modelling of electrodes on the distribution of electric field intensity in the head. Fields are evaluated for three commonly used configurations of electrodes using a three-dimensional finite element model of rat’s head comprising the brain, the cerebrospinal fluid, and the skull. Simulations show a lower amplitude of electric field intensity if realistic models of electrodes are considered. Moreover, electric field intensity near electrode models is shown to be slightly influenced. Therefore, realistic modelling of electrodes can improve the accuracy of an inverse imaging, and consequently make the localization of current sources in rat’s brain more accurate.