What adjustment should a technologist make if the amplitude of a signal exceeds channel limits?

When the amplitude of a signal exceeds channel limits, the appropriate adjustment is to decrease sensitivity. Sensitivity in this context refers to the gain setting on the recording equipment, which determines how signal amplitudes are scaled for display and measurement.

When sensitivity is set high, even relatively small physiological signals can appear large on the recording, but if the signals are not within a manageable range, they can exceed the channel limits, resulting in saturation or clipping of the waveform. By decreasing sensitivity, the technologist effectively reduces the amplification of the signal. This helps to bring the amplitude of the signal back within the acceptable range for accurate representation and analysis, preventing distortion of the data.

Adjustments such as increasing sensitivity or changing electrode placement may be considered in other contexts but do not address the issue of clipping or saturation directly. Similarly, adjusting the sampling rate is not a solution for exceeding channel limits, as it pertains more to how frequently the signal is recorded rather than managing the amplitude of the signal itself.