What is the DESA^®?

DESA^® is our proprietary acronym for Digital Electroencephalogram Spectral Analysis, an EEG based neuroelectrical evaluation system developed at Harvard's Boston Children’s Hospital.  At its core is an EEG, but there are five other parts to the DESA^®.

The purpose of a thorough neuroelectrical examination is to analyze the central nervous system, its input processes, and the processes and expression of information.  The brain puts out micro amounts of electrical energy that can be captured and evaluated.  When analyzed by an expert, the data can reveal abnormalities previously undiagnosed and/or can confirm or rule out diagnostic impressions.

In addition to the EEG portion of the assessment, the DESA^® study also includes Visual Evoked Responses/Potentials (VER) and Auditory Evoked Responses/Potentials (AER) as well as Frequency Modulated Auditory Evoked Responses (FMAER) and P300.  Each of these components reveals a different aspect of neurological functioning.

The VER allows an objective look at data gathered as a light stimulus flows from the retina to the visual cortex of the brain.  The proper identification of visual processing abnormalities is critical in a thorough diagnosis of problems.

The AER assesses the functional pathways as sound travels and is processed from the ear to the temporal cortex of the brain.  Auditory abnormalities of a receptive nature can be clearly identified.

The FMAER is a specific auditory wavelength that “warbles” in pitch creating a sound the brain recognizes as language.  It can identify language difficulties before they actually surface.  In young children, this is extremely important in the context of recent findings that the brain can “rewire” itself when problems are identified at an early age.

The P300 evaluates the brain’s ability to identify random occurrences of different sounds.  Its value is in identifying parameters of attention in different parts of the brain.