Brain Wave Changes Research Articles

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Creating a Seasonal Roadside Flowerscape on Police Officials

Background and objective: This study was conducted to find out the psychological and physiological effects of creating a seasonal roadside flowerscape on police officials.Methods: Police officials created and managed a spring flowerscape in the outer space of their workplace, through which the effects on stability, relaxation, and attention could be examined through brainwave changes. EEG measurements and surveys were conducted twice before and after the experiment on a total of 18 men and women with an average age of 37.1 ± 9.0.Results: As a result of investigating the changes in the EEG and ECG of police officials, it was found that not only stability, relaxation (RSMT: Ratio of (SMR-mid beta) to theta), and attention (RMT:Ratio of mid beta to theta, RMB: Relative mid beta power spectrum), but also brain activity (SEF 50%:Spectral edge frequency 50%) increased after creating a roadside flowerscape compared to before (<i>p</i> < .05). As a result of examining the difference between positive and negative affect of police officials before and after creating the roadside flowerscape, it was found that positive affect tended to increase after creating the flowerscape, while negative affect tended to decrease, indicating the positive effect of the flowerscape. Police officials’ preference for flower landscapes increased after creating the flowerscape (<i>p</i> < .05). As for the correlations between key variables and loyalty to the seasonal roadside flowerscape, loyalty, positive affect, and flowerscape preference of police officials showed positive correlations, while negative correlations were found with negative affect, showing statistical significance. The results of this study indicate that creating a seasonal roadside flowerscape inside and outside the workplace of police officials increases stability, relaxation, and attention of police officials while decreasing tension and stress.Conclusion: Therefore, the positive effects of creating a natural landscape using plants for police officials suffering from severe occupational trauma could improve their quality of life and relieve stress

Effects of inaudible Binaural beats on visuospatial memory performance and hemodynamic responses

This study aimed to observe the impact of pure Binaural Beats (BB) stimulation in the inaudible frequency range, excluding the influence of sound, on visuospatial memory. Additionally, we investigated whether the brainwave changes induced by BB stimulation directly affect brain activation. The experiment involved 17 participants (12 males with a mean age of 23.2 ± 1.7 and 5 females with a mean age of 21.0 ± 0.7) in their 20s. Each participant received 10 Hz BB stimulation by presenting frequencies of 18,000 Hz and 18,010 Hz to the left and right ears, respectively. The experiment consisted of Rest phase (5 min), Task phase (5 min), and Rest phase (5 min). The Task phase included conditions where participants performed the task either without BB stimulation “Task only” or with BB stimulation “Task + BB”. Visuospatial memory was evaluated using the 3-back task. To observe brain activation, functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to measure hemodynamic responses in all phases. The cognitive task performance (Accuracy, Reaction time) and oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentration during the Task phase were compared between conditions with and without BB stimulation using paired t-tests. Results indicated a significantly shorter Reaction time in the Task + BB condition compared to the Task only condition. Moreover, an increase in HbO concentration was observed in the F1-F3, F2-F4, and P2-P4 regions during the Task + BB condition. In conclusion, the observed increase in HbO concentration suggests a positive influence on task performance. This study is meaningful in objectively demonstrating the impact of inaudible BB stimulation on visuospatial memory, utilizing both behavioral data and direct neural activation reflected in hemodynamic responses.

Brain Wave Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex When Exposed to Varying Plant Types as Visual Stimuli

Visual stimuli from green plants have positive effects on mental health. This study aimed to compare human responses to varying plant types [live, artificial, two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) plant models] as visual stimuli. Thirty adults (age, 29.9 ± 11.5 years) viewed each plant form while an electroencephalography (EEG) measured their brain activity. Psychological responses were assessed using the semantic differential method (SDM). No significant differences were observed among visual stimuli; however, brain activity differences varied between male and female participants. Males who observed live and artificial plants had a higher relative alpha (RA) spectrum (RAS) and relative fast alpha (RFA) spectrum frequencies at Fp1 and Fp2 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 vs. P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), indicating greater emotional stability. Similarly, male participants who viewed 2D models had higher RA and RFA frequencies at Fp1 (P < 0.01, P < 0.01) and Fp2 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Male participants who observed 3D models exhibited higher RA, RSA, and RFA frequencies at Fp1 (P < 0.01). Live and artificial plants were deemed the most calming (P < 0.01). Both sexes found live plants to be the most pleasant (males: P < 0.01; females: P < 0.05) and natural (males: P < 0.001; females: P < 0.01). Overall, alpha wave differences were not significant among plant types, and live plants elicited a trend toward emotional stability. These findings suggest that 3D plant models can be as effective as real plants in psychophysiological applications, indicating their potential benefits for enhancing mental health in urban environments.

The activity of different brain regions in fatigued and drowsy drivers: A systematic review based on EEG findings

Introduction: Drowsiness and fatigue during driving is one of the major causes of traffic accidents, morbidity, and mortality in societies. Known electroencephalography (EEG) as a gold standard in fatigue detection, this study aims to determine the alterations in different brain regions in fatigued and drowsy drivers. Methods: The databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase have been systematically searched for published studies until September 1, 2023. Also, the references of the relevant articles have been searched manually. Reporting the quality assessment of the studies has been done by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for experimental studies. The study purpose was achieved using appropriate statistical methods. Results: Sixty-five eligible studies consisting of 1450 participants were included. The most common age and gender between participants is young males. The majority of the studies were held in high-income countries. Simulated car driving studies are utilized frequently in the studies. Common brain-wave changes seen in various regions include increased alpha in the occipital area (51.7%) and decreased alpha in the frontal region (eight out of eight simulated driving studies), decreased beta in the frontal region (25.8% of driving simulated studies), increased theta in the frontal region (36.2%), and decreased gamma in the central and temporal areas. Delta waves increase throughout the brain in an equal proportion. Conclusion: The occipital alpha increase, frontal beta decrease, frontal theta increase, and central and temporal gamma decrease, are frequent findings among the studies reporting fatigue and drowsiness. Based on the discrepancies and inconsistencies reported in EEG results, the detection of fatigue and drowsiness in the driving task via EEG data should be done with caution.

Modulating Consciousness through Awareness Training Program and Its Impacts on Psychological Stress and Age-Related Gamma Waves.

Aging often leads to awareness decline and psychological stress. Meditation, a method of modulating consciousness, may help individuals improve overall awareness and increase emotional resilience toward stress. This study explored the potential influence of the Awareness Training Program (ATP), a form of consciousness modulation, on age-related brain wave changes and psychological stress in middle-aged adults. Eighty-five participants with mild stress were recruited and randomly assigned to ATP (45.00 ± 8.00 yr) or control (46.67 ± 7.80 yr) groups, matched by age and gender. Ten-minute resting-state EEG data, obtained while the participants' eyes were closed, were collected using a 128-channel EEG system (EGI). A strong positive Pearson correlation was found between fast-wave (beta wave, 12-25 Hz; gamma wave, 25-40 Hz) EEG and age. However, after the 7-week ATP intervention, this correlation became insignificant in the ATP group. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in stress levels, as measured by the Chinese version of the 10 item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), in the ATP group. These results suggest that ATP may help modulate age-related effects on fast brain waves, as evidenced by the reduced correlation magnitude between age and gamma waves, and lower psychological stress. This suggests that ATP, as a form of consciousness modulation, may improve stress resilience and modulate age-related gamma wave changes.

Changes of alpha and beta brain waves in exposure to different levels of noise

Introduction: Noise is one of the most important environmental stressors, which, along with the prevalence of exposure in the work and living environment, has various effects. Noise exposure can create positive or negative consequences at different levels. Based on this, in the present study, brain wave changes in exposure to different levels of noise were investigated.
 Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, 72 student volunteers with an average age of 26.27 years, participated in this study after meeting the exclusion criteria and receiving sufficient training regarding the implementation procedure. Before starting the test, demographic questionnaires, noise sensitivity, and audiometry were completed for the participants. A noise level of 45 dB was chosen as the background sound, and 75, 85, and 95 dB levels were selected for exposure. The participants were exposed to the determined facial pressure level for half an hour and rested for half an hour. During exposure to the noise, the volunteers' brain waves were used by the portable EEG device E wave, 16 channels. The results were analyzed by the mat lab v12 software.
 Result: The results show that exposure to two levels of 75 and 85 dB of absolute power alpha has increased in 14 brain channels, including CZ and O2. The results showed that the noise level of 75 dB compared to the background state did not change significantly at any channels (P>0.05). At the 85 and 95 dB levels, the absolute power of the beta frequency band has increased. At the 95 dB level, this increase is statistically noticeable and significant in almost all brain regions (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that exposure to noise causes changes in neuronal activities in the brain, and can affect the performance of the exposed workers.

Impact of Listening to Indian Classical Music, or Rāgas, on the Electroencephalogram: A Meta-Analysis.

Ancient Indian classical music (ICM) has long been lauded and recognized for influencing emotional responses by influencing the human body's resonance. A meta-analysis of prospective case studies published in the last ten years on the effect of ancient Indian music rāgas on brain waves is investigated. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze published prospective studies investigating the effect of ancient Indian rāgas on EEG in healthy subjects. The present study included prospective studies published since 2012. Studies were obtained by searching four databases, such as PsychINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR, and searching related journals. Eligibility criteria included studies assessing the impact of listening to Indian classical music on the EEG. Primary outcomes were changes in the brain waves, frequency, and power and their relationship to activity-related arousal, attention, and mental tasks. The studies were analyzed according to the PRISMA guidelines. There were a total of five included studies with 71 participants in the age range of 19-30, and the conditions for the test groups were generally similar except for varying types of rāgas used and time of day. Analysis of the data collected from 71 participants revealed that music interventions had statistically significant effects on increasing alpha activity and attention scores. Fractal analysis was sensitive enough to detect EEG brainwave changes while and after listening to the rāga musical intervention. Rāgas stimulate arousal in different areas of the brain, depending on the emotions they are designed to evoke. However, the synchronized studies together could not highlight a significant relationship between rāgas and EEG fractal dimension values. Although the meta-analysis failed to reproduce the same results from the individual studies, potentially due to the small sample size and study variation, the meta-analysis opens doors to the potential of rāgas to elicit distinct emotions and serve as robust predictors of emotional response. Future studies can explore the therapeutic potential of various rāgas in the clinical setting, such as in the management of cognitive disorders and stress or in modulating heart rate variability and cognitive performance.

Brain waves spectral analysis of human responses to odorous and non-odorous substances: a preliminary study.

The aim of this study was to identify the potential electrophysiological biomarkers of human responses by comparing the electroencephalogram brain wave changes towards lavender versus normal saline in a healthy human population. This study included a total of 44 participants without subjective olfactory disturbances. Lavender and normal saline were used as the olfactory stimulant and control. Electroencephalogram was recorded and power spectra were analysed by the spectral analysis for each alpha, beta, delta, theta and gamma bandwidth frequency upon exposure to lavender and normal saline independently. The oscillatory brain activities in response to the olfactory stimulant indicated that the lavender smell decreased the beta activity in the left frontal (F7 electrode) and central region (C3 electrode) with a reduction in the gamma activity in the right parietal region (P4 electrode) (p < 0.05). Olfactory stimulants result in changes of electrical brain activities in different brain regions, as evidenced by the topographical brain map and spectra analysis of each brain wave.

Analysis of the effect of ideological education group psychotherapy combined with aromatic plant essential oil on alleviating students’ anxiety disorder

BackgroundStudent anxiety disorder is very common today. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), it includes phobia, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The emergence of collective psychotherapy in ideological education aims to use the auxiliary role of collective combination of ideological education to appease students’ anxiety, but it has not achieved good results. Aromatic plant essential oil combines aromatherapy, which can promote people’s physical and mental health through inhalation or massage. Therefore, the research will integrate aromatic plant essential oil into ideological education group therapy for clinical treatment.Subjects and MethodsIn this experiment, a total of 50 patients were observed, half of them were male and half female. All 50 patients reached the standard of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder as a mental disease α Brain waves will change. When people are in anxiety, α Brain waves will decrease or even disappear, so the study used the ND-97 digital EEG to test the left and right occipital α Brain wave changes. The experiment was conducted twice, with an interval of 7 days between the two experiments. For α Brain wave changes, the results are shown in Figure 1.ResultsThe brain wave intensities of different subjects were different, while the brain wave intensities of left occipital region and right occipital region were basically consistent. But before and after smelling, the changes of brain wave are also different. In the first experiment, left and right occipital regions of 50 patients α 34 cases (68%) had enhanced brain wave; α Brain wave instability occurred in 5 cases, accounting for 10%; α the brain wave was weakened in 11 cases, accounting for 22%. After the second experiment α Brain waves were enhanced in 39 cases (78%); α Brain wave instability occurred in 7 cases, accounting for 14%; α Brain wave was weakened in 4 cases, accounting for 8%. In general, α the more patients with brain wave enhancement, it shows that the ideological education collective psychotherapy combined with aromatic plant essential oil has greatly alleviated the tension and anxiety disorders of patients, and has a certain effect.ConclusionsAnxiety disorder is quite common among today’s student groups, and the traditional collective therapy of ideological education is limited for various reasons, therefore, its role in alleviating students’ anxiety disorder is not obvious. As a natural therapy, aromatherapy with aromatic plant essential oil can play a very effective role in relieving students’ anxiety disorder, and has a high acceptance rate for students.Figure 1.Before and after the two experiments α Brain wave changes

Brain Wave Changes during Cognitive Task Performance in Uncomplicated Diabetic Adults: An Exploratory Study

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease associated with cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly population. This exploratory study analysed the brain wave changes during cognitive task performance in working adults with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MATERIALS AND Methods: The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to screen subject’s cognitive function and quantitative electroencephalography was used to analyse subject’s brain waves at rest and whilst performing the serial seven test. Results: When performing the serial seven test, the diabetic group showed a higher absolute power of theta waves in the left frontal (Fp1, 16.22 ± 3.81 vs 3.75 ± 1.69; p = 0.022) and temporal regions (T3, 24.27 ± 3.69 vs 7.92 ± 2.17; p = 0.045), but lower absolute power of beta waves in both the frontal regions (Fp1, 27.35 ± 3.67 vs 41.14 ± 5.67; p = 0.029; Fp2, 23.01 ± 3.31 vs 39.05 ± 2.64; p = 0.041) and left temporal region (T3, 37.93 ± 4.64 vs 50.94 ± 3.56; p = 0.046) when compared to those of the control group. The diabetic group took longer to complete the task (127.9 ± 8.3 s vs 95.6 ± 5.9 s; p = 0.032) than the control group, despite no statistically significant difference in correct response rates. Diabetes duration was positively correlated with the theta/alpha ratio in the left frontal (Fp1, r = 0.525; p = 0.041) and temporal (T3, r = 0.618; p = 0.037) regions. Conclusions: T2DM may affect cognitive function in patients before clinical manifestation.

EEG-Based Spectral Analysis Showing Brainwave Changes Related to Modulating Progressive Fatigue During a Prolonged Intermittent Motor Task.

Repeatedly performing a submaximal motor task for a prolonged period of time leads to muscle fatigue comprising a central and peripheral component, which demands a gradually increasing effort. However, the brain contribution to the enhancement of effort to cope with progressing fatigue lacks a complete understanding. The intermittent motor tasks (IMTs) closely resemble many activities of daily living (ADL), thus remaining physiologically relevant to study fatigue. The scope of this study is therefore to investigate the EEG-based brain activation patterns in healthy subjects performing IMT until self-perceived exhaustion. Fourteen participants (median age 51.5 years; age range 26−72 years; 6 males) repeated elbow flexion contractions at 40% maximum voluntary contraction by following visual cues displayed on an oscilloscope screen until subjective exhaustion. Each contraction lasted ≈5 s with a 2-s rest between trials. The force, EEG, and surface EMG (from elbow joint muscles) data were simultaneously collected. After preprocessing, we selected a subset of trials at the beginning, middle, and end of the study session representing brain activities germane to mild, moderate, and severe fatigue conditions, respectively, to compare and contrast the changes in the EEG time-frequency (TF) characteristics across the conditions. The outcome of channel- and source-level TF analyses reveals that the theta, alpha, and beta power spectral densities vary in proportion to fatigue levels in cortical motor areas. We observed a statistically significant change in the band-specific spectral power in relation to the graded fatigue from both the steady- and post-contraction EEG data. The findings would enhance our understanding on the etiology and physiology of voluntary motor-action-related fatigue and provide pointers to counteract the perception of muscle weakness and lack of motor endurance associated with ADL. The study outcome would help rationalize why certain patients experience exacerbated fatigue while carrying out mundane tasks, evaluate how clinical conditions such as neurological disorders and cancer treatment alter neural mechanisms underlying fatigue in future studies, and develop therapeutic strategies for restoring the patients' ability to participate in ADL by mitigating the central and muscle fatigue.

감각자극이 휴식기 뇌파변화에 미치는 영향: 성별을 중심으로

한 가지 감각에 따른 휴식기 뇌파 연구는 꾸준히 진행되어 왔으나 오감(五感)에 따른 뇌파 변화 연구는 미비한 실정이다. 이에 본 연구는 오감 중 이완 및 휴식기 뇌파(α파)에 영향을 미치는 감각이 무엇인가를 통해 성별 차이를 알아보고자 하였다. 연구는 총 30명의 대학생을 대상으로 하루에 한 종류씩 감각 제시 전 후에 뇌파를 측정한 결과를 SPSS를 이용해 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 감각 종류에 따른 전 후의 뇌파의 차이는 모든 감각에서 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 성별에 따른 감각별 전 후의 뇌파의 차이는 촉각, 미각, 후각에서 유의한 차이가 있었다. 특히, 미각에서는 자극 제공 전 후의 차이 값에서 남 여 차이가 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구를 통해 오감 자극이 안정감 향상에 영향을 미치고 성별 차이가 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이에 본 연구의 결과에 따라 적절한 감각과 성별에 따라 다른 감각 자극을 제공하여 스트레스 완화 및 이완에 긍정적인 효과를 주는 방향을 제시하고자 하였다.

Intestinal Parasites and Theta Brainwave Changes in Children

Background: Parasitic diseases are one of the health problems in all societies, especially in developing countries. Infection with parasites, especially in children, can be associated with learning disorders, malnutrition, anaemia, and physical disorders. On the other hand, an abnormal increase in the theta brainwave amplitude may also be one of the causes of mental slowness and disability in children’s learning, decentralization, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objectives: In this study, we assessed the possible effects of intestinal parasites on brainwave changes in children in Karaj Health centers. Methods: A stool examination was done to separate healthy and infected children. Then, using a diagnostic interview and electroencephalography, the theta-wave was recorded in both groups. Results: From 69 children who participated in this study, 8.7% were infected with one or more intestinal parasites. Around 14.49% of all children had a high theta wave, but the interesting point was that 100% of infected children had a high theta brainwave (P value = 0.001). In contrast, only 6.34% of healthy people had high theta waves. Conclusions: In this study, there was a significant relationship between parasitic infection and brain wave changes. Parasitic diseases may alter brainwaves with unknown mechanisms and affect the ability and activities of the brain.

ECT: Physiology, Indications, and Treatment

Inducing grand mal seizures (electroshock, electroconvulsive therapy) developed as an effective treatment to alleviate the psychosis of dementia praecox. Clinicians quickly recognized that seizures also relieved depressed moods, suicide risk, catatonia, manic excitement, and delirium. It is an unheralded, often stigmatized, medical achievement. Seizures may be induced chemically or with electric or magnetic currents. Grand mal seizures must be repeated for persistent benefits. Not all seizures are equally effective. Effective seizures are marked by bilateral electroencephalographic brain wave changes and neuroendocrine discharges from hypothalamic-pituitary glands. Treatments are remarkably safe, with zero mortality. Immediate effects on memory are common but are almost always transient. They are not a practical deterrent to the treatments, although they are widely cited to reject its use. The stigmatization of induced seizures that places it as a “last resort” therapy is wasteful and unethical. It offers a remarkable opportunity for advancement in neuroscience. This review contains 4 figures, 3 tables, and 90 references. Key words: anesthesia, bipolar disorder, catatonia, delirium, electroconvulsive therapy, electroencephalography, major depression, melancholia, neuroendocrine, seizures

Effects of Symbol Component on the Identifying of Graphic Symbols from EEG for Young Children with and without Developmental Delays

Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to improve the communication skills of children with disabilities is generally supported by both domestic and foreign scholars. Graphic symbols that represent individual words or phrases are often used in conjunction with AAC; however, research on the reading and identifying of AAC graphic symbols is scant. Therefore, this study used electroencephalogram (EEG) to investigate the success rates of identifying AAC graphic symbols and brainwave changes of young children with and without developmental delays. The results revealed that the number of symbol components affected participants’ success rates of identifying AAC graphic symbols. The EEG Attention Index between the children with and without developmental delays varied during the test. By contrast, the EEG Relaxation Index exhibited no difference between the children with and without developmental delays. When the participants viewed the single-component animations, the children without developmental delays had a significantly higher Relaxation Index than those with developmental delays did. According to cognitive load theory, the children with developmental delays and low cognitive capacities may feel stressed.

Changing Behavior and Renewing the Brain

The field of neuroscience and religion continues to explode as researchers seek to understand religious experiences in the brain. Studies in religious experience, called neurotheology, attempt to draw conclusions about the truth of these religious experiences from the study of biological brain events. Given the substantial research on the science of religion, this article explores the physiological changes of college students engaged in regular spiritual practices. Students were asked to engage in intentional spiritual formational practices, such as prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and contemplation, to see if these practices impacted their physiological activities, including brain wave, heart rate, skin response (sweat), and reaction time changes. A variety of neuropsychological measures such as the Beck Depression Inventory, State/Trait Anxiety Scale, heart beats per minute, galvanic skin response, and electrophysiological encephalography measures were gathered at the beginning and the end of the course to measure physiological activity. The purpose was to discover whether students’ physiological measures changed as a result of spiritual formation practices. This study has implications for Christian educators: As persons engage in regular contemplative practices, this can result in behavioral changes in the brain.

A new automatic sleep staging system based on statistical behavior of local extrema using single channel EEG signal

Over the past decade, converging evidence from diverse studies has demonstrated that sleep is closely associated with the mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. Visual sleep scoring provides an initial and tangible illustration of how the brain wave changes across different sleep stages. The main objective of the present study is to design an accurate and robust computer-assisted sleep stage scoring system using single-channel EEG signal by proposing a novel time domain feature named Statistical Behavior of Local Extrema (SBLE). SBLE provides a profound understanding of hidden dynamics of EEG signals by quantifying and symbolizing its local extrema information, extracting and defining various patterns, and statistical analysis of extracted patterns. First, each EEG segment was decomposed into 6 frequency sub-bands (i.e., low-delta, high-delta, theta, alpha, sigma, and beta). Next, SBLE features were separately computed from each sub-band. Then, an optimal feature set with a high rate of accuracy was selected using a supervised Multi-Cluster/Class Feature Selection (MCFS) algorithm. Finally, the selected features were fed to a multi-class Support Vector Machine (SVM) for classification purposes. The benchmark Sleep-EDF dataset and DREAMS Subject Database were employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed framework. The average (± variance) accuracy rates were 90.6 ± 4.2%, 91.8 ± 5.0%, 92.8 ± 3.3%, 94.5 ± 3.4%, 97.9 ± 1.4% for six-stage to two-stage sleep classification on Sleep-EDF dataset, respectively. Besides, its performance on DREAMS Subjects Database was also promising in term of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Experimental results suggest that the proposed methodology can precisely solve the multi-class sleep stage classification problem by presenting an innovative symbolic approach similar to physician's point of view.

Prefrontal Activation in the EEG Biofeedback training using a General-Purpose Brainwave Meter

Commercialized EEG monitoring technologies present no standard for evaluating conditions on practicing brain self-regulation; in order to verify the standardization of brain self-regulation through a Human Computer Interface(HCI) reference posture. Both Autogenic Training(AT) and ANSI/HFES 100 HCI reference postures were studied for similarities and differences. From these, six postures were similar and two other postures were somewhat different. To verify availability in applying the reference posture of ANSI/HFES 100–2007 in measuring brain waves as a standard posture, this thesis measured the brain wave of users after practicing AT in an upright sitting posture, for those already having acquired AT. Brain waves recorded for 120 seconds from 6 participants at an upright sitting posture, who had acquired the ability to enter an autogenic shift within 10 seconds. The α-wave made up 16∼21% while the θ-wave was 27∼29% of the brain waves. Training was applicable to all the users despite the users having differences positioning their head downward or not and their arms and hands resting on their knees or not, with differences in the leaning posture of AT and the comfortable workspace posture of ANSI/HFES 100. The results indicated that measuring brain waves after training for self-regulation just like the reference posture allows for maintaining a state of very high concentration. As such, there is a need for defining concentration standards by conducting a comparison of brain waves in general and after training self-regulating brain, both under the HCI conditions. In addition, a study on brain wave changes for untrained and subsequently trained users, both at the HCI posture, seems necessary. The methodology allows for quantifying how much concentration is present for a user interacting with a computer in situations such as controlling equipment remotely or in an education setting.

EEG-Based Detection Model for Evaluating and Improving Learning Attention

People are often tempted by external factors which lead to decreased attention. Failing to concentrate over the long term will gradually cause the inability to focus, which creates obstacles for learning and decreases one’s ability to learn. However, using the proper recovery method, attention can be restored, thereby improving learning effectiveness. Thus, how to measure a student’s attention level precisely, and how to provide an effective attention recovery method for are topics worth attention in the field of learning. An attention level assessment model based on EEG analysis is developed to measure subjects’ attention level precisely during learning exercises. The study also observes the relationship between brain wave changes and varying attention levels during learning, and provides attention recovery methods that can help students restore attention and improve their learning efficiency. The study finds that napping is a good recovery method which can help male and female leaners recover their focus states. Conversely, adopting a recovery method which the participant finds more attractive (e.g., playing mobile games or watching YouTube) leads to increased focus on the more attractive activity, and fails to restore attention to the original task.

The effects of visual stimuli on EEG mu rhythms in healthy adults.

[Purpose] Several action observation/imagery training studies have been conducted in patients with limited physical activity showing improvements in motor function. However, most studies compared effects of action observation and imagery, so little is known about the changes caused by subsequent observation of target objects. Moreover, few studies analyzed brain wave changes in the EEG mu rhythm. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen healthy female adults participated in this study, and were divided into two groups: ‘Visual Stimuli’ and ‘Non-Visual Stimuli’. EEG amplitude in the 8–13 Hz frequency band over the sensorimotor cortex was evaluated. [Results] Significant mu suppression was obtained in the action observation trials. Mu power showed a main effect of visual stimuli, with decreased power during action observation, and increased power post-observation in both conditions. Comparing the ‘Visual Stimuli’ and ‘Non-Visual Stimuli’ conditions during the post-observation period, mu power demonstrated a greater increase in the ‘Non-Visual Stimuli’ condition. Furthermore, mu power was lower post-observation than pre-observation. [Conclusion] These results show the effects of visual input between maintaining target objects and no visual input, and their relevance to modulations of the mirror neuron system. It also suggests that greater visual input may be more effective for cognitive rehabilitation.