What should a technologist adjust to improve the appearance of distorted EEG waveforms during a sleep study?

To improve the appearance of distorted EEG waveforms during a sleep study, the gain setting is the most relevant adjustment. The gain setting influences the amplification of the EEG signals. Distorted waveforms can often result from low signal amplitude, which makes it difficult to accurately interpret the data. Adjusting the gain allows the technologist to enhance the signal, making the waveforms clearer and easier to analyze.

While the other options may relate to the quality of the EEG recording, they do not directly address the specific issue of waveform distortion:

• The frequency filter is used to either attenuate or amplify certain frequency components of the signal but does not directly improve the clarity of distorted waveforms.

• The sampling rate impacts how often the signal is digitized, but increasing it does not necessarily resolve distortion that may be due to amplitude issues.

• Pacing rate typically refers to the rate of stimulus delivery in a different context, such as in cardiac studies, rather than addressing deformation in EEG waveforms.

Thus, adjusting the gain setting is the most effective method for addressing distorted EEG waveforms during polysomnography.