Extracting Transient Phase-Amplitude Coupling from Resting-State EEG Signals

Electroencephalography (EEG) allows us to observe brain activity through electrical signals. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) is a way to analyze EEG data by focusing on the interaction between the low- and high-frequency components of these signals. However, PAC analyses are often challenged by various methodological issues. We here propose a novel approach which alleviates these issues. Our method has the following features: (i) it addresses the transient nature of coupling through data epoching; (ii) it ensures the presence of low-frequency oscillations through peak detection in the power spectrum; (iii) it applies adaptive high-frequency filtering; and (iv) it performs statistical validation using surrogate data. The efficiency of our method is demonstrated through both a simulation study and the analysis of experimental EEG data, offering new insights into the intricate workings of brain signal interactions.