Long-range temporal correlations in alpha and beta oscillations: effect of arousal level and test-retest reliability.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to evaluate test-retest reliability and condition sensitivity of long-range temporal correlations in the amplitude dynamics of electroencephalographic alpha and beta oscillations.


METHODS
Twelve normal subjects were measured two times with a test-retest interval of several days. Open- and closed-eyes conditions were used, representing different levels of arousal. The amplitude of the alpha and beta oscillations was extracted with bandpass filtering and the Hilbert transform. The long-range temporal correlations were quantified with detrended fluctuation analysis.


RESULTS
The amplitude dynamics of the alpha and beta oscillations demonstrated power-law long-range temporal correlations lasting for tens of seconds. These correlations were degraded in the open- compared to the closed-eyes condition. Test-retest statistics demonstrated that the long-range temporal correlations had significant reliability, which was greatest in the closed-eyes condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of long-range temporal correlations indicates that the amplitude of neuronal oscillations at a given time is dependent on the amplitude at times as remote in the past as tens of seconds. The reliability of long-range temporal correlations suggests that the mechanisms generating the amplitude fluctuations are not perturbed over several days. The systematic changes in the scaling exponents at different levels of arousal indicate that these changes occur on many time scales (5-80 s) as a result of modifications in the intrinsic dynamics of the neuronal oscillations.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that the dynamics of spontaneous neuronal oscillations possess long-range temporal correlations with properties suitable for functional and clinical studies.
Nikulin
Vadim V
VV
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institutet, Clinical Neurophysiology, Karolinska Hospital, S-17176 Stockholm, Sweden. vadim.nikulin@ks.se
Brismar
Tom
T
D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001611:Beta Rhythm / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors