EEG Flashcards
What does EEG stand for?
Electroencephalogram.
How can you record from individual neurons?
Electrodes must be in direct contact with the neural tissue.
What is synchronous activity?
A large number of neurons doing the same thing at the same time.
What are alpha waves?
Synchronous activity in the visual cortex when the eyes are closed and the visual cortex is not receiving complex visual information.
What is the relationship between synchrony and data processing?
The more synchronous the neurons in the brain, the less data processing is occurring.
When would a weak signal show up on an EEG?
When you are intensely concentrating and many neurons in the brain are calculating many different things.
What did we specifically record in the EEG?
Oscillating slow fields of neurons in the upper layers of the cerebral cortex, specifically the summation of EPSPs.
List the different types of brain waves from high frequency to low frequency.
Beta (13-30 Hz)
Alpha (8-13 Hz)
Theta (4-8 Hz)
Delta (0.5-4 Hz)
What are artifacts in an EEG?
Recorded signals that are non-cerebral in origin, e.g. generated by body movement or electrical noise from attached equipment.
When are alpha waves observed?
During wakeful relaxation when the eyes are closed.
What effects would mental arithmetic have on alpha wave activity?
Alpha amplitude would be significantly reduced.
Alpha frequency would be somewhat reduced.
What is the relationship between cortical activation and alpha activity?
The greater the cortical activation, the lower the alpha activity.
How would classical music impact alpha waves compared to silence?
Decrease the amplitude of alpha waves.
Which factors influence the extent to which alpha waves are affected by different genres of music?
Volume.
Familiarity with the music.
Participant’s attentiveness or awareness of the music.
Emotional reaction to the music.
Individual preference.
