EOG correction of blinks with saccade coefficients: a test and revision of the aligned-artefact average solution

Objective: The ‘aligned-artefact average’ (AAA) procedure was advanced by the authors as a technique suitable for removing eye movement-related artefacts from the EEG. It was proposed that this method would correct both blink and non-blink artefact from the EEG, using the same set of correction coefficients (Bs). However, recent evidence suggests that this simplification is not always accurate. Thus, we test here a revision of the AAA, including an appropriate allowance for the radial EOG (REOG) component, that does allow the use of the same Bs for the correction of blink and non-blink artefact. Methods: Blink (and saccade) ERP data from 15 subjects were corrected using the AAA method, with Bs calculated from the same blink (and saccade) data set (referent waveforms), or a different set of blink (and saccade) data, or using the new revised AAA procedure (RAAA). Results: AAA Bs calculated from saccades corrected blinks poorly (and vice versa). However, the RAAA Bs corrected blink ERPs better than blink-derived Bs, and saccade ERPs better than saccade-derived Bs. It was also found that irrespective of correction type, inclusion of REOG improved correction. Conclusion: EOG correction is more accurate when the radial channel is included, but inclusion of REOG (and/or HEOG) is not sufficient to resolve the discrepancy between blink and saccade correction. Using the RAAA procedure, both blink and non-blink data can be corrected using the same set of Bs.