I have a lecture I’ve given for many years about persistent myths in medicine, and for obvious reasons it focuses on neurology. And depending on the audience, I love to include my “favorite” (and infuriating) myth which relates to the voltage pattern that eyeblinks cause on the EEG.
Just about every textbook or atlas I’ve consulted (with a couple exceptions) and everyone who has ever taught me how to read an EEG, explains that the pattern seen on the EEG is due to “Bell’s Phenomenon“, which describes how our eyes move when our eyes are closed under certain circumstances. However, Bell’s phenomenon does NOT occur during eyeblinks.
Here is a short video which shows what eyeblinks and some eye movements look like on EEG, explains Bell’s phenomenon, and explains why Bell’s phenomenon is not responsible for eyeblinks on EEG.
I’d very much appreciate it if anyone can help me find a single reference which shows otherwise. 🙂