Quantification of EEG Brain Activity in the Self-Paced Regime

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Joana Silva
A. Martins da Silva
Luís Coelho

Abstract

The processing of motor, sensory and cognitive information by the brain can result in changes of the electroencephalogram (EEG) by Event Related Desynchronization (ERD) or Event Related Synchronization (ERS). The first one concerns a decrease in the amplitude of a rhythmic activity while the second corresponds to its increase. The analysis of these two phenomena in specific frequency bands - alpha (8-13 Hz) and beta (14-30 Hz) - allows the understanding of the cerebral activity. This study focuses on the quantification of cerebral activity by determining the ERD and ERS on the referred band, induced by self-paced movements, by using EEGLAB and MATLAB tools. This was achieved by the creation of a new and automatic quantification algorithm. The results indicate that a greater desynchronization of the signal is accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude of the same. As a conclusion, the cerebral activity varies in terms of synchronization and desynchronization among certain frequency bands in several zones, according to the tasks performed.

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Article Details

Author Biographies

Joana Silva, Universidade do Porto

Departamento de Engenharia Eletrotécnica e de Computadores

Faculdade de Engenharia

Universidade do Porto

Rua Dr. Roberto Frias

4200-465 PORTO

Portugal

A. Martins da Silva, CH Porto; Universidade do Porto

Serviço de Neurofisiologia

Hospital Santo António/CH Porto

Centro Hospitalar do Porto

Largo do Prof. Abel Salazar

4099-001 PORTO

Portugal

UMIB - Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica

ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar

Universidade do Porto

Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n.º 228

4050-313 PORTO

Portugal

Luís Coelho, ISEP; INEGI

Departamento de Física

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Porto

Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431

4249-015 Porto

Portugal

INEGI - Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial

Campus da Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto

Rua Dr. Roberto Frias

4200-465 PORTO

Portugal