title: Objective detection of evoked potentials using a bootstrap technique.
abstract: Evoked potentials are usually evaluated subjectively, by visual inspection, and considerable differences between interpretations can occur. Objective, automated methods are normally based on calculating one (or more) parameters from the data, but only some of these techniques can provide statistical significance (p-values) for the presence of a response. In this work, we propose a bootstrap technique to provide such p-values, which can be applied to a wide variety of parameters. The bootstrap method is based on randomly resampling (with replacement) the original data and gives an estimate of the probability that the response obtained is due to random variation in the data rather than a physiological response. The method is illustrated using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to detecting hearing thresholds. The flexibility of the approach is illustrated, showing how it can be used with different parameters, numbers of stimuli and with user-defined false-positive rates. The bootstrap method provides a new, simple and yet powerful means of detecting evoked potentials, which is very flexible and readily adapted to a wide variety of signal parameters.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. jl2@isvr.soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity