Bioelectrical potentials and mental effort: II. Frontal lobe effects.

Abstract

Most eeg. studies relating brain wave patterns to mental functions have dealt only with the qualitative frequency characteristics of the potential output. Suspecting that there might also be quantitative correlates, a special bioelectric integrator was used to secure the summation of the brain output for predetd. samples of time. The frontal lobe integration during difficult computational tasks was compared with that of equivalent rest periods before and after work which did not require any overt movement. The max. increase of energy output was 105.9%. The mean increase was 25.5% for 19 subjects. One subject showed substantially no change. Subjects with high integration values exhibited wave forms with low frequency surges. The increases of energy were sustained through the 2d expts. with no evidence of adaptation such as had been exhibited in previous cardiac studies.