Optimal Approach for Signal Detection in Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials in Humans Using Single-Channel EEG and Stereoscopic Stimuli

In EEG studies, one of the most common ways to detect a weak periodic signal in the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is spectral evaluation, a process that detects peaks of power present at notable temporal frequencies. However, the presence of noise decreases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which in turn lowers the probability of successful detection of these spectral peaks. In this paper, using a single EEG channel, we compare the detection performance of four different metrics to analyse the SSVEP: two metrics that use spectral power density, and two other metrics that use phase coherency. We employ these metrics find weak signals with a known temporal frequency hidden in the SSVEP, using both simulation and real data from a stereoscopic apparent depth movement perception task. We demonstrate that out of these metrics, the phase coherency analysis is the most sensitive way to find weak signals in the SSVEP, provided that the phase information of the stimulus eliciting the SSVEP is preserved.