Estimating perturbational complexity from somatosensory evoked potentials

• Grant number: 18/20322-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2018
• End date: September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Adenauer Girardi Casali
• Grantee: Guilherme Luis de Faria
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/08263-9 - Standardization, validation and characterization of a novel index of brain complexity, AP.JP

Abstract

The Perturbational Complexity Index (PCI) has recently made possible the objective assessment of consciousness in both healthy and brain-injured individuals. Despite its unprecedented accuracy, the method relies on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation combined to high-density EEG, which entails expensive hardware and involves a cumbersome and lengthy preparation, hindering the dissemination of the method and its application as a routine clinical bedside tool. This project predicts the implementation and testing of complexity metrics, in both time and frequency domains, for estimating perturbational complexity from somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP). SEPs are commonly used in neurology and have been demonstrated to be abnormal in patients with disorder of consciousness. Validating PCI on SEPs will thus potentially advance the development of a clinical bedside index of consciousness. (AU)