Stability of resonance EEG reactions to flickering light in humans

Abstract

In order to study resonance phenomena in the EEG response to flickering light, 10 subjects were exposed to intermittent photic stimulation with the frequency of flashes linearly changing from 1 to 15 Hz and vice versa. Spectral analysis of occipital electrical activity revealed the occurence of peaks of spectral density in those frequency components which coincide with the frequency of flashes. Such resonance peaks were observed at individually specific frequencies of stimulation. To assess the stability of the characteristics of the resonance phenomena, a repeated trial with 4-fold higher rate of changing the flash frequency was performed 3 months later. In a repeated trial the resonance phenomena were less pronounced, but were registered at the same frequencies as in the initial trial, showing significant test-retest reliability. The data obtained are interpreted in terms of provoking the activity of multiple brain oscillators having a narrow tuning to individually specific frequencies of photic stimulation by flickering light with the changing frequency of flashes.