Identification of equivalent dipole sources of event-related brain potentials with only 14 EEG-channels

Propose an inverse dipole modeling method that yields reliable dipole fits using only a small number of EEG-channels spread over the entire scalp. By using a more powerful minimization algorithm for which constraints can be imposed on the solution ('constrained minimization algorithm'), many fewer EEG-channels are needed to infer a single or a symmetrical dipole configuration. In addition to a description of the method, we will present results of a 14 EEG-channel simulation study using potential fields generated by a known configuration of a single and a symmetrical dipole in a homogeneous-head model. To demonstrate the robustness of the method, the performance of our dipole analysis is tested for different signal to noise ratios. Present an illustration of the method using empirical data, collected in an ERP-experiment with [5- and 7-year old] children.