Frequency spectrum analysis of EEG during voluntary/involuntary contractions of the abductor digiti minimi assisting in epileptic seizure detection

Epilepsy can be defined as a neurological disorder originating within the brain and resulting in seizures. Depending on the location of epileptic areas (foci) of the brain, seizures can take many forms and occur as a result of a brief disturbance in the brain's electrochemical activity. Many systems of the human body are effected by the neurological disorder, making the study of epileptic seizure occurrence and detection complex. There is a need for a detector to predict onset, as seizure occurrence and frequency of occurrence are often unpredictable at times. The aim is to distinguish characteristic frequency components existent in EEG waveforms, during muscle contractions of the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) through electroencephalographic (EEG) frequency analysis. Here, EEG waveforms were recorded across the right hemisphere motor-cortex region of the brain during localised voluntary and involuntary finger contractions. Involuntary contractions were evoked through electrical stimulation of the ADM. Results from power spectral analysis of the EEG show an increase in magnitude during voluntary contractions compared to involuntary evoked contractions.