China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Creativity
Published in Justin Amery, The Integrated Practitioner, 2022
It’s not that creativity is easy It’s 99% perspiration. In order to improvise, to head off the page, we need to know what’s on the page first. But there is also 1% inspiration. To be inspired we need to create the right environment for creativity to work. Maximum creativity seems to happen when we ramp up our alpha waves: being relaxed, but not daydreaming. What we are aiming for is a state of mindful, relaxed awareness, peaceful, but present.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Limbic Encephalopathy in a Dysregulated Neuroimmune Network
Published in Jay A. Goldstein, Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, 2020
The cause of the various CFS sleep disorders is unknown, although it is likely that limbic mechanisms are involved. IL- l has been demonstrated to induce slow-wave (delta) sleep, and IL- l and IL-2 levels increase during sleep. Although prefrontal structures may be dysfunctional, the region which generates alpha waves has not been certainly identified. How alpha waves disrupt slow-wave sleep is similarly unclear. A recent study by Moldofsky did not demonstrate normalization of sleep architecture when cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) was administered to fibromyalgia patients, although some clinical improvement did occur.17 The nature of the restorative function of sleep is far from obvious; with the preceding information one might wonder whether metabolism of accumulated cytokines would be involved. If cytokine production is excessive, or metabolism dysregulated, a patient could feel worse (as is often the case) when he wakes up than when he goes to bed. Eighty percent of growth hormone is secreted during stage 4 sleep. If this stage is disrupted, less somatomedin-C should be produced in the liver. Fibromyalgia patients have decreased levels of somatomedin-C as compared to controls,18 another possible mechanism for fatigue and muscle pain due to impaired anabolism. Many times I have heard words to the effect of: “I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a train.” As with many other components of CFS, the sleep disorder which accompanies CFS can be considered a cause, an effect, or some of both.
Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Signal Analysis
Published in Arvind Kumar Bansal, Javed Iqbal Khan, S. Kaisar Alam, Introduction to Computational Health Informatics, 2019
Arvind Kumar Bansal, Javed Iqbal Khan, S. Kaisar Alam
Alpha-waves range from 8 to 13 Hz, is found on the posterior (back), parietal and occipital region of the brain and has an amplitude around 20–200 microvolts. Alpha-waves appear only during the time a person is awake, relaxed and mentally alert with eyes closed without any engagement in activities. Alpha-waves disappear during sleeping and are replaced by asynchronous waves when a person is involved in intense activities.
A spatial profile difference in electrical distribution of resting-state EEG in ADHD children using sLORETA
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2020
Mojtaba Jouzizadeh, Reza Khanbabaie, Amir Hossein Ghaderi
Alpha wave is known to be related to attention and alertness, which is the dominant frequency in the posterior regions in EC and relaxed wakeful condition [53]. A study by Koehler et al. reported significantly a higher alpha band power density for adult ADHD compared to control subjects [54]. In a study conducted by Bresnahan and Barry, it has been reported that adult ADHD group had more power in the alpha band compared to the control subjects [49]. Also, White et al. found elevated alpha power in adults with ADHD compared to normal adults while performing an attention test [Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA)] [55]. While some ADHD studies have described an elevated level of alpha power compared to healthy controls [49,51,54], others have found a reduced level [15,37,56], or no significant differences [48,57]. Our finding is reinforcing the importance of Alpha wave in the attention deficit of the ADHD children, in that we found a significant increase in alpha frequency band power.
Predicting functional outcomes after stroke: an observational study of acute single-channel EEG
Published in Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 2020
Jeffrey Rogers, Sandy Middleton, Peter H. Wilson, Stuart J. Johnstone
Stroke is associated with immediate brain changes resulting from the suppression of oxygen and glucose supply, including a biochemical cascade that can lead to cell death and cerebral infarction.1–3 Electroencephalography (EEG) is sensitive to the effects of these acute changes in cerebral blood flow4,5 and neural metabolism.6,7 Such changes can be identified through the disruption or deterioration of normal electrical activity within the four classical frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, and beta. Delta and theta are primarily associated with a low state of arousal, and a prominence of these slow frequency waves is reported in individuals with neurological disease or injury.8 Faster frequency alpha waves are associated with a state of relaxation and readiness, while beta waves mainly occur when an individual is actively engaged in mental effort.8 In particular, EEG obtained in the acute stage after stroke (i.e. <72 h) is often associated with the rapid appearance of slow delta frequency waves and attenuation of faster alpha frequency activity.9–13
Dimensions of Ethical Direct-to-Consumer Neurotechnologies
Published in AJOB Neuroscience, 2019
There are currently a number of EEG sensor headsets on the market intended for consumers to improve their brain functioning. The Neurosky Mindwave (Neurosky 2018a), for example, can be paired with a plethora of third-party brainwave entrainment applications to, purportedly, increase focus and attention, reduce stress and anxiety, enhance cognition, increase motivation, strengthen emotional stability and mental health, and improve creativity (Neurosky 2018b). However, many of these claims do not hold up to scrutiny. Positive findings cited in support of the technology are often overstated or at least not expressed with appropriate nuance. A study that is frequently cited to support the claim that EEG headset brain entrainment can boost creativity (Fink, Schwab, and Papousek 2011) does not examine EEG brain entrainment at all. Rather, it finds a correlation between creative idea generation and alpha synchronization activity. In fact, while this study showed that affective and cognitive stimuli could enhance alpha activity, the stimuli did not enhance the originality of ideas that were created (Fink, Schwab, and Papousek 2011). It is misleading to use such studies as evidence for the claim that EEG entrainment can improve an individual’s ‘creativity’. To the lay person, ‘creativity’ entails ‘originality’, not simply alpha wave activity. To represent it differently flouts the principle of honesty and violates a user’s right to autonomous decision making.