If the Low Frequency Filter is changed from 1 Hz to 5 Hz, how will a 2 Hz slow wave be impacted?

Changing the Low Frequency Filter from 1 Hz to 5 Hz directly affects how the EEG records low-frequency activity. When the filter is set at 1 Hz, it allows signals as low as 1 Hz to pass through without significant attenuation. However, if the filter is adjusted to 5 Hz, any wave activity below 5 Hz, including a 2 Hz slow wave, encounters significant attenuation.

The 2 Hz slow wave, being below the set threshold of 5 Hz, will not be adequately represented in the recording due to this adjustment. Thus, it will be suppressed or significantly reduced, resulting in a waveform that is less discernible or almost absent on the EEG trace. Therefore, the impact of changing the filter setting to 5 Hz means that the 2 Hz wave will be significantly attenuated, leading to a diminished or obscured representation of that signal in the tracing. This principle is critical in EEG signal processing, as it illustrates how filter settings can dramatically alter the visibility of specific EEG components.