Reduction of EEG power during expectancy periods in humans.
The contingent negative variation (CNV), and the associated event-related desynchronization (ERD) on motor areas and sensory areas, and increase of alpha in the ipsilateral to the cued stimulus side, are different brain signals that reflect motor, sensory, and cognitive activations related to the expectancy of the next stimulus. However, the possibility of an overall change in EEG oscillatory activity during expectancy periods has not been directly addressed. The present report tests whether the background oscillatory activity is modulated by a warning signal. During the expectancy period, the power spectral density (PSD) between 0 and 42.9 Hz--including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma--decreased with respect to the baseline. These results suggest that during expectancy periods there is a generalised decrease in the oscillatory activity, and that reduction of the EEG power would facilitate the phasic and oscillatory neural activities triggered by the next target stimulus.
Gómez
Carlos M
CM
Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Sevilla, c/Camilo Jose Cela s/n Sevilla 41018, Spain. Cgomez@us.es.
Vaquero
Encarnación
E
López-Mendoza
Diana
D
González-Rosa
Javier
J
Vázquez-Marrufo
Manuel
M
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009991:Oscillometry