Hair Matters: Invention for an Overlooked Problem
By Rachel Ware
I recently listened to a podcast titled “The Fight to Fix a Racist Medical Gadget” about the electroencephalogram (EEG). I first learned about it while doing a course project in a lab using EEG and eye tracker data for research studies. I helped run sessions where participants were looking at different types of shoes or grocery shelf arrangements with the EEG on. We saw what they looked at and what approximate emotions they had at those times as predicted from brain waves. That experience made the podcast very interesting to listen to in a personal way, as I had put an EEG headset on participants and participated in a study where I wore an EEG cap as well.
The racist part of the EEG referred to in the podcast is that the headsets are not made to go over the hair of people with thicker and curly hair types, namely Black people. This means there is not enough impedance or skin contact for the electrodes to pick up signals from the brain. The problems go from not being able to participate in a research study (or having your data thrown out) to not getting the data for neurologists to find brain injuries, seizures, strokes, and more. These are serious things, and to hear people not getting care or getting their hair shaved off is infuriating and highlights how overlooked these experiences are.
The podcast shares two methods to improve experiences with EEGs for Black People from the experiences of Black scientists working with this tool. One is a set of clips that can be placed on the hair to get the electrodes closer to the scalp. The second is a hairstyle guide that provides certain patterns of braids and other hairstyles that allow space for the electrodes to reach the scalp. These methods are not only helpful for the people getting the EEG put on but those who are working with EEGs to learn about Black hair and properly take care of the patients or participants they work with. I hope their usage becomes widespread to keep people from the serious risks of not being able to access this tool.
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