What is the recommended horizontal resolution for an evoked potential system?

The recommended horizontal resolution for an evoked potential system is 20 microseconds per data point or less. This level of resolution is crucial for accurately capturing the rapid changes in electrical signals produced during evoked potentials. A finer horizontal resolution allows for a detailed representation of the neurophysiologic responses, which is essential for proper analysis and interpretation, particularly when identifying small or transient waveforms that are characteristic of evoked potentials.

Using a resolution of 20 microseconds or better ensures that the system captures sufficient data points to avoid distortion and allows for accurate measurements of event-related potentials, which can occur at very short latencies. This is particularly important as evoked potentials may have features that occur within milliseconds after a stimulus is presented; thus, a high horizontal resolution is necessary to avoid missing critical components of the response.

Other choices, such as 30 milliseconds per data point or one half the Nyquist frequency, may not provide the necessary detail for effective monitoring. While the Nyquist frequency is relevant in signal sampling theory, it is fundamentally tied to the maximum frequency of interest and does not directly prescribe the horizontal resolution needed for capturing fast evoked potentials. Additionally, stating that there is no effect on aliasing properties misses the essential aspect of how appropriate horizontal resolution