brainsignal

Brainsignal refers to the electrical, magnetic, or metabolic activity generated by neurons in the brain. It reflects collective synaptic activity and action potentials, producing oscillations across a broad range of frequencies from slow delta to fast gamma. Brain signals can be recorded from the scalp or from within brain tissue and are used to study neural function, cognition, and behavior.

Common measurement modalities include electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electrocorticography (ECoG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). EEG and MEG capture fast electrical or magnetic activity with high temporal resolution but relatively modest spatial specificity, whereas fMRI and PET track metabolic or hemodynamic changes with higher spatial localization but slower temporal dynamics.

Data analysis typically involves preprocessing to remove artifacts, followed by spectral or time-domain analyses. Techniques include Fourier or wavelet transforms, event-related potentials, and decoding or pattern-classification approaches for brain-computer interfaces.

Applications span clinical monitoring for epilepsy and sleep disorders, cognitive neuroscience research, and the development of neuroprosthetics and brain-computer interfaces. Brain signals also enable neurofeedback and training paradigms that aim to modulate neural activity.

Limitations include susceptibility to noise and artifacts from movement or muscle activity, interpretational complexity, and the inverse problem of inferring exact neural sources from noninvasive measurements. Inter-subject variability, state dependence, and data quality further complicate conclusions, and ethical considerations concern privacy and potential misuse.

Historical note: the electroencephalogram was first described by Hans Berger in 1929, marking a foundational tool for studying real-time brain dynamics.