beta brainwaves
Research Papers
Direction of SMR and Beta Change with Attention in Adults
Introduction. The aim of this study was to clarify the interpretation of sensory-motor rhythm (SMR; 13-15 Hz) and beta (16-20 Hz) changes with respect to attention states. Method. For this purpose, EEG was recorded from 11 participants during (a) a multiple object tracking task (MOT), which required externally directed attention; (b) the retention phase of a visuo-spatial memory task (VSM), which required internally directed attention and avoidance of sensory distraction; and (c) the waiting intervals between trials, which constituted a no-task-imposed control condition. The 2 active tasks were consecutively presented at 2 difficulty levels (i.e., easy and hard). Two analyses of variance were conducted on EEG log spectral amplitudes in the alpha (8-12 Hz), SMR, and beta bands from F3, F4, C3, C4 and P3, P4. Results. The first 15 analysis compared the MOT to the VSM by difficulty levels and revealed a significant task effect (p < .0005) but no effect of difficulty. The results showed that externally directed attention (MOT) resulted in lower values than internally directed attention (VSM) in all three bands. The second analysis averaged the difficulty levels together and added the no-task-imposed reference condition. The results again showed a significant task effect that did not interact with site, hemisphere, or, more important, band. Post hoc tests revealed that both MOT and VSM produced significantly smaller means than the no-task-imposed condition. This pattern of log-amplitude means and the lack of task interaction with any other factor indicate that task-induced attention reduces EEG power in the same proportion across the 3 bands and the 6 channels studied. Conclusions. These results contradict a frequent interpretation concerning the relationship between the brain's aptitude to increase low beta in neurofeedback programs and improved sustain attention capacities.
View Full Paper →EEG Asymmetry Analysis of the Left and Right Brain Activities During Simple versus Complex Arithmetic Learning
Repeated practice of simple arithmetic such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication has been widely used for effective math education. Brain activity patterns during simple and complex arithmetic calculation have been explored by several research groups using magnetic resonance images (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI), and some have reported that the balanced whole brain (both left and right brain) activities during simple arithmetic in contrast to the predominant left brain activities during complex arithmetic. Methods. In this work, we have identified the characteristic brainwaves and asymmetric activation patterns of the left and right brain during the process of simple and complex arithmetic by measuring theta, alpha, Sensory Motor Response (SMR), and beta brainwaves of 24 participants from the location FP1 (left brain) and FP2 (right brain) using EEG. Results. Simple statistics analysis showed the significantly different beta activities from the left brain during complex arithmetic compared to simple arithmetic process, and through the asymmetry analysis of the left and right brain activities, less symmetrical brain activation during complex calculation, that is, specifically higher SMR, and beta brainwaves in the left hemisphere more than right hemisphere was identified, which is consistent with recent fMRI findings. Conclusion. The results imply that simple arithmetic process may improve the whole brain activities in a balanced way while complex arithmetic induce unbalanced activities of the left and right brain.
View Full Paper →NEUROFEEDBACK TRAINING IN A CASE OF ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
Electroencephalographic biofeedback, also known as neurofeedback, has been used to improve attention in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the present case study, a ten-year-old boy completed 37 sessions of neurofeedback training over a six-month period on-site in a school setting. Beta brainwave training was applied for sessions 1–22 and replaced by sensorimotor rhythm training for sessions 23–37. A review of his national achievement test scores for four years revealed he improved performance the year he received neurofeedback and the gain was lost the year after treatment was completed. The participant had been receiving methylphenidate for the previous two years and remained on the medication throughout neurofeedback and for the year after neurofeedback treatment. Findings are suggestive of the advantages of incorporating neurofeedback training as part of a multimodal treatment program in a school setting for children with ADHD.
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