As neuroscience provides new advances into understanding human brain function, an improved assessment technology is required to characterize the functional neurophysiology of sleep. The fMRI and PET methods of cerebral blood flow imaging face limitations in characterizing sleep organization because their measurement technologies (such as head fixation and loud scanning noise) are problematic for normal sleep. Furthermore, sleep neurophysiology involves many rapid events that must be described with millisecond temporal resolution. We propose to develop the SOMNA (Sleep Organization and Microstates of Neural Arousal) assessment system for dense sensor array electroencephalographic (EEG) studies of sleep. The improved spatial sampling of the 128- and 256- channel EEG will correct an important inadequacy of conventional EEG, promising more accurate anatomical analysis of sleep neurophysiology. The SOMNA system would provide advanced computerized assessment of sleep EEG and polysomnographic measures, and it would segment the EEG into microstates of arousal as well as traditional sleep stages. The system would advance the technology of clinical sleep laboratories, providing new methods of dense array EEG for studies of current density, electrical field animations, and MR-constrained source localization. The improved understanding of sleep physiology may be important to clinical sleep disorders including insomnia, epilepsy, and sleep apnea.

Proposed Commercial Applications

The ease of testing and interpretation with the SOMNA system will be attractive not only to sleep research centers, but to clinical sleep laboratories, integrating the Digital EEG and Sleep Polysomnography functions in many hospitals and neurology clinics.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
2R44HL060478-02
Application #
2800771
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IFCN-7 (04))
Project Start
1997-09-30
Project End
2001-03-31
Budget Start
1999-04-15
Budget End
2000-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Electrical Geodesics, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
809845365
City
Eugene
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97403
Ferree, T C; Luu, P; Russell, G S et al. (2001) Scalp electrode impedance, infection risk, and EEG data quality. Clin Neurophysiol 112:536-44