title: Comparison of time-frequency analysis techniques in intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) monitoring.
abstract: Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) can be monitored during spinal surgery to prevent possible spinal cord injury. In order to improve the reliability of SEP monitoring, an investigation of the application of various time-frequency analysis (TFA) techniques to detect both temporal and spectral changes in SEP waveforms was conducted. SEP signals from 15 scoliosis patients were analysed using various methods. The time-frequency distributions (TFDs) computed using these methods were assessed and compared. The most appropriate TFA technique may depend on the type of SEP signal, Short term Fourier transform (STFT) with a 20 point length Hanning window probably provides the best result for SEP signals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital, 12 Sandy Bay Road, Hong Kong. yhud@hkusua.hku.hk
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Keith Dipkei
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: William Weijia
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: John Chiyan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leong
mesh_terms: D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control