Scoring Artifacts and Troubleshooting Flashcards
6 cards from real BRPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Scoring Artifacts and Troubleshooting flashcards as text
When troubleshooting an intermittent PSG artifact, which approach is most effective?
Answer: Observe the artifact's timing, pattern, and correlation with other channels to identify its source
Systematic observation of when, where, and in which channels the artifact occurs, and correlation with other physiological channels, is the diagnostic approach that leads to identification and correction of the source.
During a split-night CPAP titration, CPAP pressurized airflow most directly causes artifact on which channels?
Answer: Thermistor, nasal pressure, and respiratory effort channels
CPAP pressure alters airflow dynamics at the thermistor and nasal pressure transducer and can affect the appearance of respiratory effort channels during titration.
A 60 Hz notch filter is used in PSG recordings to:
Answer: Selectively eliminate AC power line frequency interference
The 60 Hz notch filter removes electrical interference from AC power lines (60 Hz in the US) while preserving physiologically relevant EEG, EOG, and EMG signals.
Movement artifact during PSG is best identified by:
Answer: Simultaneous large-amplitude irregular deflections across multiple channel types coinciding with body movement
Movement artifact characteristically produces simultaneous, large-amplitude, irregular deflections across multiple channel types (EEG, EMG, respiratory) at the same moment the patient moves.
Reference contamination artifact in EEG is characterized by:
Answer: The same artifact pattern appearing simultaneously on all channels that share the same reference electrode
When the reference electrode (M1 or M2) picks up an artifact (e.g., ECG, movement), that artifact appears identically on every channel referenced to it, distinguishing it from single-electrode problems.
The correct technique to determine whether a suspect signal during scoring is a true physiological event or artifact is to:
Answer: Cross-reference the signal with other channels, check its timing, and correlate it with known physiology
True physiological signals follow predictable patterns and correlate logically with related channels; comparing the suspect signal across EEG, EOG, EMG, and respiratory channels distinguishes real events from artifact.