A century-long journey: from first recordings to hidden temporal structure

Hans Berger (1873–1941), German psychiatrist and neurologist, was the first to record the human electroencephalogram (EEG) in 1924, pioneering a century-long journey in brain electrophysiology.

More than a century after its discovery, electroencephalography (EEG) is experiencing a renewed moment at the center of neuroscience.

According to the State of Neuroscience 2025 report by The Transmitter, EEG is currently the top trending term in neuroscience, showing the strongest growth in research publications over the last five years. At the same time, Alzheimer’s disease remains the most studied topic in the field, with EEG appearing again as the second most used term overall.

This convergence is not accidental. It reflects a broader shift in how neuroscience approaches brain disorders: moving beyond static snapshots toward dynamic, functional, and scalable measures of brain activity.

A century-long journey: from first recordings to hidden temporal structure

When Hans Berger published the first human EEG recordings in the late 1920s, the technique was revolutionary—but its potential was only partially understood. Early EEG research focused on visible rhythms and gross abnormalities, constrained by limited recording hardware, analog processing, and rudimentary analysis tools.

For decades, much of EEG’s richness remained hidden in plain sight.

What has changed in recent years is not EEG itself, but our ability to extract meaning from it.

Advances in:

• digital signal processing

• time–frequency and connectivity analyses

• computational modeling

• machine learning and data-driven methods

have revealed complex temporal dynamics, multiscale interactions, and subtle functional signatures that were previously inaccessible.

This has transformed EEG from a descriptive technique into a quantitative tool capable of supporting biomarkers, longitudinal monitoring, and translational research.

EEG and neurodegeneration: a timely convergence

The latest publication trends clearly show where the field is heading (see Figure 1).

• Alzheimer’s disease continues to dominate neuroscience research, reflecting the scale of its societal and clinical impact.

• EEG is not only widely used, but the fastest-growing methodological focus in the last five years.

• Closely related topics such as neuroinflammation, functional connectivity, and plasticity are also rising, pointing toward integrated models of brain dysfunction.

  
  

This alignment highlights EEG’s growing role in neurodegenerative research: as a non-invasive, cost-effective, and repeatable method capable of capturing functional brain changes over time—an essential requirement for early detection, disease staging, and treatment monitoring.

Fiigure 1. The panel on the left shows the most used research terms in neuroscience in 2024, with Alzheimer’s disease as the most frequent and EEG appearing strongly in second place. The panel on the right illustrates the top trending terms over the past five years, where EEG leads the list, followed by neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease—highlighting EEG’s rapid growth in research prominence.

Starlab, Neuroelectrics, and a long-term commitment to EEG

At Starlab, this evolution closely mirrors our own trajectory.

Since Neuroelectrics was founded in 2011 as a Starlab spin-off, EEG has been a cornerstone of our scientific and technological work. From early research systems to clinical-grade solutions, our focus has consistently been on unlocking the full potential of electrophysiology.

Today, Enobio is among the most widely used mobile EEG systems worldwide, supporting research across cognition, neurodegeneration, and brain health in academic, clinical, and industrial settings  (see Figure 2).

Beyond hardware, Starlab has also become a key international provider of EEG data analysis and reporting services, supporting:

• Clinical Trials

• Brain and Memory Clinics

• Multicenter and longitudinal studies

across different regions of the world. Our work helps research and clinical teams translate complex neurophysiological data into robust, interpretable insights.

Figure 2: Participant wearing an Enobio EEG system (Neuroelectrics) during a cognitive or interactive session. 

Looking ahead

Seeing EEG emerge as the top trending term in neuroscience is not just a milestone—it is a signal of where the field is going.

As neuroscience increasingly prioritizes functional biomarkers, longitudinal monitoring, and real-world applicability, EEG is uniquely positioned to play a central role—particularly in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Closing the year with this recognition is both encouraging and motivating. It reinforces our commitment to continue advancing EEG-based approaches that bridge research, clinical practice, and real-world impact.

Here’s to the next chapter of EEG—and to a new year of discovery, collaboration, and progress in neuroscience.