A Microprocessor-Based System for Diagnosis of Cognitive Dysfunction

Memory impairment has been associated with a deficit in a functional component of attention termed "focused arousal." Short, aperiodic bursts of EEG activity in a narrow frequency band (36?44 Hz) centered at 40 Hz have been established as an indicator of this state of "focused arousal." A measure of this 40 Hz EEG activity could be very useful in the diagnosis of different types of cognitive dysfunction. Automated detection of the 40 Hz bursts is seriously hampered by the presence of high amplitude EMG signals from the scalp muscles and by the low amplitude of the 40 Hz EEG.