10-20 system
The international standardized method for electrode placement in EEG recording.
Full Definition
The 10-20 system is the internationally accepted standard for electrode placement in electroencephalography, established to ensure consistent and reproducible EEG recordings across different laboratories and practitioners. The system derives its name from the use of measurements that are 10% or 20% of the total distance between specific anatomical landmarks on the skull, such as the nasion, inion, and preauricular points. This standardized placement method ensures that electrodes are positioned over consistent brain regions across different individuals, facilitating accurate interpretation and comparison of EEG recordings. The system includes specific nomenclature for electrode positions using letters (F for frontal, C for central, P for parietal, O for occipital, T for temporal) and numbers (odd numbers for left hemisphere, even for right hemisphere, with 'z' indicating midline positions).
Usage
Usage note: Always hyphenate as '10-20 system' and capitalize 'system' when referring to the official standard.
In Context
- "Electrodes were positioned according to the international 10-20 system for standardized recording." — EEG methodology documentation
- "The abnormal activity localized to electrode positions F7-T3 using the 10-20 system placement." — EEG interpretation report