[Optimal estimation of temporal non-stationary signals by using simulated annealing: application to brainstem...

A brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) is an electrical signal evoked by neurological activity and recorded after stimulating acoustically the auditory system. A random delay of responses from a stimulated one to another one is one of the problems in estimating BAEPs. This leads to a smoothed estimated signal when applying the classical averaging method. The technique, presented in this paper, consists in using an optimal corrected averaging method, based on Simulated Annealing (SA), and in estimating a delay vector that maximizes a non-linear criterion. The optimal vector is used to correct the signal. BAEPs can be afterwards enhanced. The new method is advantageously compared with the classical averaging method.