Dario Nardi EEG research

  • Published: 03-03-2014 Edited: 03-03-2014
  • Dario Nardi uses EEG for this research to map neocortex activity with his interpretation of Jungs psychological types a.k.a. Jungs cognitive functions (JCF). Nardi does not use MBTI as a framework for type but instead uses John Beebes 8-function model. Nardi types people based on several tests and interview durings weeks, so Dario Nardis 'best-selected-type' does not correlate with MBTI results. If Nardi can't type a person confidently he will exclude this person from the research.

    So here is a couple of things to notice when working with EEG:
    * Low spatial resolution on the scalp. fMRI, for example, can directly display areas of the brain that are active, while EEG requires intense interpretation just to hypothesize what areas are activated by a particular response.[24]
    * EEG poorly determines neural activity that occurs below the upper layers of the brain (the cortex).
    * Unlike PET and MRS, cannot identify specific locations in the brain at which various neurotransmitters, drugs, etc. can be found.[18]
    * Often takes a long time to connect a subject to EEG, as it requires precise placement of dozens of electrodes around the head and the use of various gels, saline solutions, and/or pastes to keep them in place. While the length of time differs dependent on the specific EEG device used, as a general rule it takes considerably less time to prepare a subject for MEG, fMRI, MRS, and SPECT.
    * Signal-to-noise ratio is poor, so sophisticated data analysis and relatively large numbers of subjects are needed to extract useful information from EEG[25]

    Nardi uses a very low count of test subjects for his testing, not even 2 people per type. So to test his 16 distinct 'best-selection-type' he has 1-2 people per type. This generally makes the whole research invalid because of the problems of EEG listed above.

    "EEG has several limitations. Most important is its poor spatial resolution. EEG is most sensitive to a particular set of post-synaptic potentials: those generated in superficial layers of the cortex, on the crests of gyri directly abutting the skull and radial to the skull. Dendrites, which are deeper in the cortex, inside sulci, in midline or deep structures (such as the cingulate gyrus or hippocampus), or producing currents that are tangential to the skull, have far less contribution to the EEG signal."

    The EEG tool will be most accurate in finding activity in the neocortex, so by mapping sequences of this activity with Nardi's best-selection-type he is hoping to prove Jungian functions exists. One could make the conclusion from Nardi's research that people have different neocortex activity but this was known before.

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