Facilitation of the alpha rhythm of the electroencephalogram.

Abstract

Simultaneous trans-occipital and trans-precentral EEG records were taken on 6 adult subjects lying with eyes open. Stimuli consisting of ready signals, unexpected questions, multiple-choice and mental arithmetic tasks, general and specific instructions were presented. Facilitation of the rhythm occurred following these stimuli. Adaptation of the facilitation response was observed, and the strength and incidence of occurrence of the response was found to vary with the subjects, stimuli, and cortical areas studied.