👉 What if we proved screen sensitivity with an EEG?

rorro98678

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I really believe this is something we should seriously consider.

What if one of us underwent an EEG while using a phone or a screen that clearly triggers symptoms? We could see, in real time, how the brain reacts to specific visual stimuli — PWM, dithering, refresh rate issues, whatever it is that sets us off.

This could give us actual, objective data to show researchers what this technology is doing to our bodies. Because if we don’t, they’ll just keep saying it’s anxiety, or imagination, or psychosomatic.

The point wouldn’t be to “prove we’re right on Reddit”, but to create something that accessibility teams at tech companies and research groups at universities would have to take seriously.

Honestly, what many of these devices do to us already feels like literal torture.

I know this wouldn’t be easy or cheap, but I think it could be a huge step forward for this community.

What do you think? Has anyone here already done an EEG or talked to a neurologist about something like this?

JTL

rorro98678 What if one of us underwent an EEG while using a phone or a screen that clearly triggers symptoms? We could see, in real time, how the brain reacts to specific visual stimuli — PWM, dithering, refresh rate issues, whatever it is that sets us off.

I recall certain people have attempted EEG's (as to test for photosensitive epilepsy) but the I believe triggers normally used for that aren't equivalent to what many consider a device with bad PWM causing symptoms (if those triggers can still be a problem for some of those people is a different question in itself)

Donux

rorro98678 This is great idea. Any additional tests and shared data would allow to draw better conclusions. And based on what @jen said, maybe there are other tests possible too.

simplex

You can start with electro-retina-graphy

Because issue in cones to nerve zone

FabiFr

I actually have some real-life experience related to EEG testing, and it’s a bit paradoxical.

I underwent an EEG a few years ago to rule out epilepsy, because of my screen-related symptoms. The EEG included classical intermittent photic stimulation (stroboscopic flashes at different frequencies).

The test was completely negative.

No epileptiform activity, no abnormal response, and importantly: no symptoms were triggered at all during the exam.

The reason, I think, is quite simple:

the setup used during the EEG did not involve a “problematic” modern screen configuration for me.

From what I remember, the system used:

• an old-style medical workstation

• likely VGA output

• a very simple, dedicated OS and software

• no modern GPU pipeline, no compositing, no fancy rendering

This matches what I’ve observed in many medical environments (EEG, MRI, radiology, etc.):

even when the hardware is powerful, the software and display pipelines are extremely simple and static, and I usually don’t get symptoms there.

So in my case:

• EEG itself didn’t show anything abnormal

• stroboscopic light didn’t trigger symptoms

• because the visual signal was stable and compatible for me

Ironically, this also means that the EEG didn’t really “test” my screen sensitivity, because it wasn’t done using a screen that actually triggers my symptoms.

I agree it would be interesting to repeat such an experiment while using a device or configuration that clearly causes symptoms (for example a modern phone or laptop known to trigger strain), but that would require a very controlled experimental setup, and it’s probably not something standard EEG protocols are designed for

jen

If I'm remembering correctly from what an EEG technician told me a couple years ago, the fastest flicker frequency tested for photosensitive epilepsy is 30 Hz. I asked if we could try faster frequencies typical of architectural LEDs (120 Hz and faster) and they said it wasn't possible with their equipment, so they wouldn't try it. We'd need to convince doctors to try devices that trigger us and to look for a response, which might be quite different than the 3-30Hz photosensitive epilepsy response.

I really wish we knew of some objective test for light/screen flicker sensitivity - we just don't know yet at all what's happening, so it isn't clear what the right test is - will it end up being EEG, fMRI, or something else?