Sleep Spindles as an Electrographic Element: Description and Automatic Detection Methods. (11th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coppieters 't Wallant, Dorothée; Maquet, Pierre; Phillips, Christophe
• Other Names: Timofeev Igor Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Neural plasticity. Volume 2016(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-07-11
• Subjects: Neuroplasticity -- Periodicals; 612.82
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/6783812
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-5904

Abstract

Abstract : Sleep spindle is a peculiar oscillatory brain pattern which has been associated with a number of sleep (isolation from exteroceptive stimuli, memory consolidation) and individual characteristics (intellectual quotient). Oddly enough, the definition of a spindle is both incomplete and restrictive. In consequence, there is no consensus about how to detect spindles. Visual scoring is cumbersome and user dependent. To analyze spindle activity in a more robust way, automatic sleep spindle detection methods are essential. Various algorithms were developed, depending on individual research interest, which hampers direct comparisons and meta-analyses. In this review, sleep spindle is first defined physically and topographically. From this general description, we tentatively extract the main characteristics to be detected and analyzed. A nonexhaustive list of automatic spindle detection methods is provided along with a description of their main processing principles. Finally, we propose a technique to assess the detection methods in a robust and comparable way.