Fractal-based techniques for physiological time series: An updated approach

Abstract

Along this paper, we shall update the state-of-the-art concerning the application of fractal-based techniques to test for fractal patterns in physiological time series. As such, the first half of the present work deals with some selected approaches to deal with the calculation of the self-similarity exponent of time series. They include broadly-used procedures as well as recent advances improving their accuracy and performance for a wide range of self-similar processes. The second part of this paper consists of a detailed review of high-quality studies carried out in the context of electroencephalogram signals. Both medical and non-medical applications have been deeply reviewed. This work is especially recommended to all those researchers especially interested in fractal pattern recognition for physiological time series.