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Published on: December 8, 2018
Common median referencing for improved action potential detection with multielectrode arrays.
John D Rolston1, Robert E Gross, Steve M Potter
1Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA. jrolston@neuro.gatech.edu
Summary
Common median referencing improves action potential detection in multielectrode recordings by enhancing signal-to-noise ratio. This method avoids spurious signals caused by large transients, unlike common average referencing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Referencing techniques are crucial for removing common-mode noise in multielectrode recordings.
- Common average referencing (CAR) enhances action potential (AP) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) but can fail with large transients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate common median referencing (CMR) as an alternative to CAR for AP detection.
- To address the limitations of CAR in the presence of large single-electrode transients.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of CAR and CMR for AP detection using simulated and real electrophysiological data.
- Analysis of SNR improvement and generation of spurious APs under different referencing strategies.
Main Results:
- CMR significantly improved AP detection SNR compared to CAR.
- CMR effectively prevented the generation of spurious APs during large single-electrode transients.
- CMR led to more isolated single units and increased AP detection rates per unit.
Conclusions:
- Common median referencing is a robust and effective method for AP detection in multielectrode recordings.
- CMR offers superior performance over CAR, especially in scenarios with significant signal transients.
