Webinar: Direct, Non-Invasive Measures of Cortical Target Engagement - Implementing EEG Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials
The next episode of our webinar series features Dr. Róisín McMackin, who appears as a guest speaker to share her expertise on the implementation of electroencephalography (EEG) outcome measures in clinical trials. Dr. McMackin’s research focuses on electrophysiological biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease and the application of advanced neurophysiological tools to better understand neural network changes in health and disease.
During the session, Dr. McMackin provides an overview of EEG as a direct, non-invasive measure of cortical neuronal activation and highlight its value as an accessible and economical tool for measuring pharmacological effects on cortical networks. Dr. McMackin discusses how recent advances in mobile EEG systems enable wireless implementation in both clinical and home environments, expanding opportunities for screening, monitoring, and follow-up assessments.
The webinar explores how EEG recorded at rest can provide direct measures of cortical oscillatory activity and functional connectivity, while task-linked EEG can quantify cortical activation during specific sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges. Dr. McMackin demonstrates how customised EEG protocols can provide a suite of quantitative outcome measures for evaluating the central effects of drug therapies in clinical trials.
Dr. Róisín McMackin is an Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine, where her research centres on electrophysiological biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neurone disease and Huntington’s disease. Her team harnesses EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure neural network changes, improve understanding of disease mechanisms, and refine clinical categorisation. Drawing on this expertise, she shares valuable practical insights into the successful application of EEG as a clinical trial outcome measure.