Detecting Changes in Cognitive Load Through Audified EEG

Concussion is an increasing concern, especially with the popularity of contact sports. New research shows the dangers of letting concussions go undetected and untreated. Current assessment methods are lacking in their reliability to detect concussions and track healing. An objective assessment method to evaluate concussion would be a great benefit to society. Electroencephalography (EEG) consists of data measured from electrical signals that can give insight into the activity and health of the brain. The first step in assessing concussion through EEG is to understand the signal properties while performing different cognitive tasks. While these signals are often displayed graphically, they can also be converted to sound (audification) to translate the data into a more intuitive medium. By using EEG to understand how the brain processes information under different levels of cognitive load and interpreting these data through audification, this research can pave the way for audified EEG being used to assess brain health, specifically concussion. Seventy-five untrained participants were asked to identify high cognitive load by listening to audified EEG data relating to different tasks. Eighty-four percent of participants were able to detect the difference between high and low cognitive load, when listening to audified samples of EEG data. Clinical Relevance - This work provides evidence that audified EEG can be used to differentiate cognitive load conditions by untrained observers. The same approach could be used to assess concussion as brain activity differs immediately post-injury.