Brain Blast | What Can We See With EEG?
The latest news on the brain and beyond.
What can brainwaves tell us? This month, we're featuring research which addresses this question and many more. Prepare to be amazed below.
Predicting pain sensitivity via brainwaves
How well will you manage pain? A hint is in your brainwaves. A University of Birmingham research team used EEG to measure the brain activity of subjects before and while they were exposed to painful stimuli. They found that participants’ alpha waves were strong predictors of how sensitive they'd be to pain. Dentists and other physicians wish to use these findings to determine eligibility for elective procedures.
Story via University of Birmingham
Assessing the physical effects of childhood trauma
Trauma changes children’s brains and bodies. Children who have faced the threat of violence are more likely to start puberty early and show indications of premature cellular aging. Additionally, these children show greater thinning in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for emotional processing. These findings further highlight the need for early mental health support for young abuse victims.
Story via American Psychological Association
Distinguishing between dream and wake states
Awake or dreaming? Until now, it was nearly impossible to tell the difference via EEG alone. Recently, Berkeley neuroscientists identified an electrical brain signal that is unique to REM sleep, allowing them to differentiate between dreaming and wakefulness using only EEG. Based on this research, the team hopes to use EEG to study the difference between regular sleep and unconsciousness while under anesthesia.
Story via University of California, Berkeley
Testing the relationship between attention and eating
Are you a distracted snacker? University of Sussex researchers determined that when our senses are engaged in a high-demand task, we find it more difficult to notice when we’re full. This phenomenon may occur because our attention is finite - if our brains are busy focusing on other sensory input, such as a TV show, they do not have enough remaining attention to notice that we are full.
Story via University of Sussex
Finding the root of motivation in the brain
Scientists have discovered the origin of motivation in the brain: the nucleus accumbens. Based on a study they conducted in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh, the EPFL team concluded that a person’s motivation is determined by the ratio of the neurotransmitters glutamine and glutamate in their nucleus accumbens. They also found that competition increased test subjects’ motivation levels.
Story via Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Understanding the changing nature of memory
The nature of memory may change with age. A professor examined the fMRI of subjects as they watched a movie. Younger adults showed more activity in the posterior medial network of the brain, which is involved in processing contextual information. The fMRIs of older adults’ brains showed more activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is associated with schematic information.
Story via Washington University in St. Louis