Modelo eletroacústico em eletroencefalografia

Abstract

Directed at optimizing electroencephalography (EEG), this master’s dissertation was written after qualitative epistemological research to explain the inconsistent contamination of the EEG signal by the cardiac electrical signal (ECG) - contamination associated with the reference electrode montage. The physical foundations for solving this inconsistency, resulting from the theoretical content analysis, point to the emergence of a new technological application: electroacoustic-encephalography (EaEG), in which the data collected by EEG instrumentation are interpreted as a result of the electroacoustic effect and reflect the relative motion of the anatomical structures of the head. This dissertation presents scientific foundations to explain: the origin of electrical potential variations detected in the head; the contraindication of the current electronic model; the fundamentals of the electroacoustic model; the influence of the reference electrode montage; the need to assess the frequency response of available instrumentation; the requirement for significant software changes. EaEG opens a new perspective for the study of the nervous system: monitoring of brain mechanics, with an excellent temporal resolution, low cost, in different environments.