Lit 80, Fall 2013
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Seizures effect millions of people around the world and can be very harmful to normal bodily function and can in some cases even cause death. The aim of this project is to visualize the occurrence of seizures using Electroencephalograph (EEG) data. By visualizing this data through music, one can vividly see the effect a seizure has on a patients brain and how large of an impact it has on normal brain function. In order to do this, raw EEG data will be taken and converted into a WAV file, which can then be analyzed by music editing programs. There will then be two different elements to this media project. First, the raw WAV file will be analyzed by WIDI Pro, which will analyze the peaks and troughs of the WAV file and convert any peaks it recognizes into piano notes. Along with this visualization, I will also mirror an actual piano piece and match the tone, tempo, and volume to the EEG data. In order to do that, I will analyze the changes in distance between each peak on the WAV file and use that measure to change the tempo of the piano track. I will also measure the heights of the peaks and troughs of the WAV file and subsequently change the volume of the piano track. Therefore, the seizure data can be visualized with actual tonal music, and the listener can enjoyable see the effect of a seizure on the brain. I believe this visualization is important in showing listeners what actually occurs in the brain of someone suffering from seizures and the severity of the issue. This could also further be used to educate people who are at risk for developing seizures and elucidate how it effects their brains and body’s.