Superslow Brain Activity

[Guest guest]

All too often the activity of the brain as measured by the EEG

(electroencephalogram) is discussed in popular articles on the brain in terms

of 'rhythms' ranging from delta (0.5-4Hz) to beta (over 13 Hz), but this

neglects the fact that the brain also displays electrical activity of much

higher (thousands of Hz) and much lower frequencies (infraslow,

quasi-stationary, infralow, omega wave, etc), some of which offer some very

useful information on how we function. The following Russian article reports

on the very low end of the EEG spectrum (which I discussed last year - see

our archives).

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<www.hku.hk/psycho/vol2.html#abs2-6>

Superslow Components of Functional State and Quality of Activity

Milovanova G.B.

MAN, NEURON, MODEL: Communications in Psychophysiology

Human functional state, the " man-operator, " in particular significantly

influences the quality and reliability of human activity. The functional

state itself is determined by the character of actions and conditions in

which they are carried out. In practice, work is often performed under

conditions of monotony (i.e prolonged shifts or watches). The monotony of the

environment, increased automation of the work place, the static posture of

the man-operator all contribute to a decrease in vigilance, an increase in

drowsiness, and a reduction in the reliability of actions. Specific

peculiarities of the state of monotony of commands the attention of many

investigators.

The study of superslow (infraslow) components of adaptation processes is of

interest. A great amount of work [1,2,3] is dedicated to the mechanisms of

superslow waves (0-0.5 Hz) and their role in integrative brain activity. At

the same time it should be noted that infralow brain potentials are not the

only indices of superslow functioning. The study of vegetative functions is

of great interest too. To obtain information on slow oscillations when the

recording frequencies contain no slow-wave one can apply methods of

electrophysiological process demodulation [5]. This method removes

difficulties connected with direct recording of infraslow signals.

To study the relationship between functional state and operator activity a

special series of experiments was conducted. The subject was instructed to

detect and recognize visual images that were presented against a bright

background. EEG in visual and motor areas of neocortex, ECG and detection

time of image recognition were recorded. Coefficients of mutual

synchronization of different EEG leads [6] and heart rate were used as

indices of the functional state. Data filtration and singling out of slow

waves of minute-range were based on evaluation of high frequency brain

potentials.

The results demonstrate that during monotony, both the amplitude of superslow

oscillations of the brain and heart rate increase. It turned out that indices

of the quality of operator activity were connected with increase of superslow

waves as index of the functional state reduction.

References

1. Aladjalova N.A. Psikhofiziologicheskiye aspecty sverkhmedlennykh ritmov

activnosti mozga (Psychophysiological aspects of superslow rhythmic brain

activity). M.: Nauka, 1979. 214 pp.

2. Ilyukhina V.A., Borodkin Yu.S., Lapina I.S. Sverkhmedlennaya sistema

controlya i pamyat (Superslow control system and memory). M.: Nauka, 1983. p

127

3. Rusinov V.S. Dominanta. electrofiziologicheskoe issledovanie (Dominant.

Electrophysiological study). M.: Medizina, 1969. p 231

4. Simonov P.V. In: Fiziologiya vegetativnoi nervnoi sistemy (Physiology of

vegetative nervous system). L.: Nauka, 1981, p.596.

5. Frolov M.V., Milovanova G.B., Sviridov E.P., Andreev I.V. In: Apparatura i

metody issledovaniya operatorskoy deyatelnosti (Apparatures and methods of

study of operator's activity). M.: Nauka, 1989, p.3.

6. Livanov M.N. Prostranstvennaya organizatciya protcessov mozga (Spatial

organization of brain processes). M.: Nauka, 1972. p 182 -

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Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

Supertraining/

[Guest guest]

Mel Siff wrote:

< All too often the activity of the brain as measured by the EEG

(electroencephalogram) is discussed in popular articles on the brain in terms

of 'rhythms' ranging from delta (0.5-4Hz) to beta (over 13 Hz), but this

neglects the fact that the brain also displays electrical activity of much

higher (thousands of Hz) and much lower frequencies (infraslow,

quasi-stationary, infralow, omega wave, etc), some of which offer some very

useful information on how we function. The following Russian article reports

on the very low end of the EEG spectrum (which I discussed last year - see

our archives).>

** In my opinion this phenomenon is also interesting for athletes. It's not new,

but mainly

neglected in Western physiology.

Although research has been done in the USA and in Europe (1,2), most of the

research has been done

in the former Soviet-Union(3).

[This subject first interested me in the 1960s when I started my Masters degree

in brain research,

at a time when the work of Dr Aladjalova first brought the existence of the very

slow rain rhythms to my

attention. I felt that it related rather logically to the solid state models of

neural action being suggested

at about the same time by Dr Becker, whose work I also discussed

previously. Most of the work

in the field of slow wave research indeed was being done in Russia and it was

quite rare that I could

ever interest my Western colleagues in its potential for analysing control

processes in the body.

When I return from a series of overseas lectures, I will attempt to assemble

some of my data on this

subject - from my MSc and from more modern sources -and share it here with the

rest of you. Mel Siff]

This test as part of the Omegawave (another name for this kind of brain wave)

system, a fantastic piece of

equipment to monitor and control the training process of elite athletes and to

measure if they adapt to the

training load, also using other test systems like heart rate variability,

reaction time, diff. ECG and jumping tests.

One can find more information about this kind of brain wave at PubMedLine or

Google (Omegawave, slow cortical

potential, infraslow, etc) or take a look at the website

www.omegawavesports.com.

[Note, too that I provided more information on this type of brain wave

monitoring and its application many months ago.

See our archives. The one Russian who is involved with this apparatus stayed

with me and demonstrated it and I

certainly found that it can offer some very real value to the serious athlete

and any medical professionals working

with them. Mel Siff]

I know that the downhill skier Herman " Herminator " Maier used this test for

biofeedback purposes for self-regulation

of the brain.

1. Rockstroh, B; Elbert. T; Birbaumer, N; Lutzenberger, W: Slow brain potentials

and behaviour; Urban &

Schwarzenberger, Baltimore, USA, 1982.

2. McCallum, W.C; Curry, S.H.(Eds.): Slow potential changes in the human brain;

NATO ASI Series, Series A:

Life Sciences Vol.254, Plenum Press, New York, USA, 1993.

3. Ilyukhina, V.A; Kiryanova, R.E; Baez, E: Infraslow processes of the human

brain and organization of mental

activity; in. Psychophysiology. Today and tomorrow.; Bechereva, N.P(Red.)

Pergamon Press, Oxford, GBR,

1981, pg.45-55.

Henk Kraaijenhof

Amstelveen

Holland