Source-domain spectral EEG analysis of sports-related concussion via Measure Projection Analysis

Here, we investigated EEG-based source-level spectral differences between adolescents with sports-related concussions and healthy age matched controls. We transformed resting state EEG collected in both groups to the source domain using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and computed the component process power spectra. For group-level analysis in the source domain, we used a probabilistic framework, Measure Projection Analysis (MPA), that has advantages over parametric k-means clustering of brain sources. MPA revealed that some frontal brain sources in the concussed group had significantly more power in the beta band (p<;0.005) and significantly less delta (p<;0.01) and theta band power (p<;0.05) than the healthy control group. These results suggest that a shift in spectral profile toward higher frequencies in some frontal brain regions might distinguish individuals with concussion from healthy controls.