Evaluating a Method of Offline Detection of P₃ Waves

Abstract

Interest in using portable devices in neuroscience applications for people with serious motoric deficits has been growing in the last few years. The Emotiv EPOC⁺ headset is one such device. This study aimed to assess the ability of this headset to determine event-related potentials and especially P₃. Four healthy subjects participated in this experiment during which the headset recorded potential evoked by auditory and visual stimuli. The method, the program of stimuli, the results of the measurements as well as the statistical approaches have already been established in previous studies. The measurements were performed with the headset and the software TestBench attached to the device. Data analysis was performed offline on electrodes FC₅, FC₆, F₃, F₄, P₇, P₈, O₁ and O₂. The Emotiv EPOC⁺ headset was capable to distinguish the characteristic deflections of the P₃ component of event-related potentials. Even across a small number of subjects and trials the high signal-to-noise ratio of the device did not preclude a statistically significant result. The result obtained can be considered as a first step in determining P₃ or other ERP components using Emotiv EPOC⁺.