An Objective Assessment of Mental Condition Based on EEG and ECG

Abstract

Unpleasant memories arise from negative experiences and can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Psycho physiological recovery from such emotional damage is necessary to reestablish wellbeing. To understand the process of psycho physiological recovery is therefore of tremendous importance. Against this background, we focus on the process of psycho physiological recovery, in particular recovery from emotional damage by the process of recalling negative experiences. This study proposes an objective assessment for the process of psycho physiological recovery from psychological damage. We first develop an efficient protocol that assesses the physiological response to a series of stress stimulations that may engender recall of negative experiences. We use electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) to investigate the physiological responses to the stresses. Our first aim is to verify the reactions of EEG and ECG to recall of a negative experience, and to viewing images. In order to validate whether the proposed experimental protocol has the potential to assess psycho physiological recovery from emotional damage, a case study of EEG and ECG measurement using the proposed experimental protocol is presented.