ECG signal quantization effects in the analysis of atrial fibrillation

During last years spectral analysis techniques applied to the ECG have contributed to the knowledge and management of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this matter, it is proved the utility of parameters extracted from the atrial activity (AA) in the time-frequency domain for episode analysis and characterization. These techniques are mostly applied to high resolution 12-lead ECGs. Nevertheless, these high resolution recordings are not always available in the clinical practice and recordings from low resolution acquisition systems, e.g. Holter systems, must be used instead. In this work we analyze the effects of ECG quantization on the AA extraction quality carried out by one of the most recent techniques, independent component analysis (ICA), and the suitability of time-frequency parameters in low resolution recordings.