Abstracts

Rationale: This project was created to improve artifact detecting skills in technologists, electroencephalographers and nurses. Correctly recognizing and identifying artifacts requires extensive training and years of experience, with a considerable amount of time spent honing skills in waveform interpretation.  An experienced and knowledgeable technologist is better prepared to document, troubleshoot and eliminate artifacts. By reviewing known artifacts, and testing your knowledge with both new and rare samples, you will be better equipped to deal with artifacts and provide a high quality recording for your patient and electroencephalographer. Methods: We have selected several common and uncommon samples of EEG artifact, normal variants and abnormalities for training and practice. Participants can then test themselves and compare their score to others based on prior results.Test and rate yourself, 1 point per correct answer. Answers are listed on the last page.Scores: 0–2 Beginner, 3–5 Student, 6–9 Average, 10–11 Knowledgeable, 12 Hans BergerWith the addition of ‘Helpful Hints”,  the participant can then review the helpful hint and see if they would like to change their answer or feel assured  that they are on the right track. Results: You will then be able to quantify the number you were able to identify correctly. In 2014 the average score was 7.5/12 correct, with scores roughly correlated to number of years of experience. We also found a greater accuracy in identifying abnormalities and normal variants than artifacts. In 2015 and 2016 we found a similar trend with participants having greater than 10 years of experience averaging a score of 8.17/12 correct and those with less than 10 years of experience scoring 7.18/12 correctly.P= .0501 Conclusions: Artifact recognition will continue to be a challenge to even the most experienced electroencephalographers, with new technologies, hostile environments and innovative patients continually adding to our list of interesting and confounding artifacts. With the addition of “Helpful Hints” the participant will also gain insights in the learning process. Funding: None