UBC Math Bio Seminar: Cindy Greenwood

The rainbow and the brain have in common that frequencies are produced. In both cases there is a function of frequency, f, called the power spectral density (PSD). In both cases invasive investigation spoils the investigated object. This talk will describe using noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate the PSD of the brain, via stochastic modelling of associated brain structure. We explore the popular question: does the human brain manifest the mysterious property called "1/f"? Is the PSD of the brain proportional to the function "f to the power -a", for some a > 0, and hence scale-free? What would that mean about the brain? Independent of these fascinating questions, the exponent, a, has many successful applications as a diagnostic of brain disorders and treatments.