Processing EEG signals to predict brain damage
First Claim
1. An apparatus for processing an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal from a subject to assist in management of possible cerebral white-matter neural injury in the subject, comprising:
- (a) apparatus to acquire at least one channel of an EEG signal from the subject over a period of time, and (b) computing apparatus programmed to analyze the frequency distribution of the EEG signal so acquired, from within a range of from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, and to produce condensed output information descriptive and/or predictive of cerebral white-matter neural injury in the subject.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Rapid and accurate in-vivo assessment of cerebral white matter injury particularly for pre-term infants, for timely treatment and/or prediction of outcomes has been very limited. This invention exploits the discovery that reduced high-frequency EEG intensity, particularly as shown by the upper spectral edge frequency, is a good indicator of cerebral white matter neural injury and is well correlated with MRI results. With more experience of clinical cases, a set of simple rules such as “if the spectral edge value is below 8 Hz there is a high likelihood of injury” may be validated, yet the EEG technology involved is largely invisible to the user. In the invention, EEG signals are processed by software to obtain, store, and graphically display bilaterally collected EEG spectral edge and intensity values over from hours to weeks. Rejection of corrupted signals by filtering and gating means is responsive to incoming signal characteristics, to additional inputs such as motion sensors or impedance tests, and to patient data (gestational age in particular). The invention includes the software and methods of use.
92 Citations
64 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for processing an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal from a subject to assist in management of possible cerebral white-matter neural injury in the subject, comprising:
-
(a) apparatus to acquire at least one channel of an EEG signal from the subject over a period of time, and (b) computing apparatus programmed to analyze the frequency distribution of the EEG signal so acquired, from within a range of from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, and to produce condensed output information descriptive and/or predictive of cerebral white-matter neural injury in the subject. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
- 24. A method for predicting cerebral white-matter neural injury in a subject comprising acquiring, over a period of time, an EEG signal from the subject, analyzing a frequency distribution of the signal within the range of about 1 Hz to about 50 Hz, and producing condensed output information indicating presence and severity of a cerebral white-matter neural injury.
-
34. An apparatus for processing an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal from a subject to assist in management of possible cerebral white-matter neural injury in the subject, comprising:
-
(a) apparatus to acquire at least one channel of an EEG signal from the subject over a period of time, and (b) computing apparatus programmed to analyze the frequency distribution of the intensity of the EEG signal so acquired, from within a range of from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, and to produce a numerical value for the upper spectral edge of the frequency distribution of the intensity of the EEG signals. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
-
-
55. A method for predicting cerebral white-matter neural injury in a subject comprising:
-
(a) acquiring, over a period of time, an EEG signal from the subject, (b) analyzing a frequency distribution of the signal within the range of about 1 Hz to about 50 Hz, (c) determining a spectral edge of said frequency distribution; and
(d) comparing the spectral edge determined in step (c) with a spectral edge determined from one or more subjects without cerebral white-matter neural injury to predict cerebral white-matter neural injury. - View Dependent Claims (56, 63, 64)
-
Specification