Skip to main content
Log in

Modulation of Gamma-Band Spectral Power by Cognitive Task Complexity

  • Published:
Brain Topography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study evaluated the utility of electroencephalographic (EEG) measures as indices of regional cerebral activation during performance of visuo-semantic analysis tasks in neurologically intact adult volunteers. EEG was recorded from 28 scalp locations as participants performed three visual discrimination tasks designed to tap into increasingly more complex operations regularly involved in the recognition of living animate objects. In addition, data from a control task involving the same stimuli, but requiring no cognitive decision or response, was included. EEG records were quantified using power spectrum measures in five frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). Results showed a significant linear increase in absolute power in the gamma band with increasing task complexity over left hemisphere frontal and occipital regions, and over right temporoparietal regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Basar, E., Basar-Eroglu, C., Karakas, S. and Schurmann, M. Brain oscillations in perception and memory. Int. J. Psychophysiol., 2000, 35: 95-124.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bizas, E., Simos, P.G., Stam, C.J., Arvanitis, S., Terzakis, D. and Micheloyannis, S. EEG correlates of cerebral engagement in reading tasks. Brain Topogr., 1999, 12: 99-105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dumermuth, G. and Molinari, L. Spectral analysis of the EEG. Some fundamentals revisited and some open problems. Neuropsychobiology, 1987, 17: 85-99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C.M. and Singer, W. Stimulus-specific neuronal oscillations in orientation columns of cat visual cortex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1989, 86: 1698-1702.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keil, A., Muller, M.M., Ray, W.J., Gruber, T. and Elbert, T. Human gamma band activity and perception of a gestalt. J. Neurosci., 1999, 19: 7152-7161.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krausse, C., Korpilahti, P., Pörn, B., Jantti, J. and Lang, H.A. Automatic auditory word perception as measured by 40 Hz EEG responses. Electroencephal. clin. Neurophysiol., 1998, 107: 84-87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makino, A. Topographic EEG analysis in relation to higher brain function. J. Exp. Med., 1986, 33: 59-68.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Micheloyannis, S., Tzenaki, M.M., Bamboukas, M., Giachnakis, M., Paritsis, N., Prokopakis, M. and Molinari, L. Electroencephalographic evaluation of children without neuropsychiatric disturbances but with poor school performance. J. Child Neurol., 1996, 11: 309-312.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Papanicolaou, A.C., Loring, D., Deutsch, G. and Eisenberg, H.M. Task-related EEG asymmetries: a comparison of alpha blocking and beta enhancement. Int. J. Neurosci., 1986, 30: 81-85.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pulvermüller, F., Eulitz, C., Pantev, C., Mohr, B., Feige, B., Lutzenberger, W., Elbert, T. and Birbaumer, N. High-frequency cortical responses reflect lexical processing: an MEG study. Electroencephal. clin. Neurophysiol., 1996, 98: 76-85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulvermüller, F., Birbaumer, N., Lutzenberger, W. and Mohr, B. High-frequency brain activity: its possible role in attention, perception and language processing. Progr. Neurobiol., 1997, 52: 427-445.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez, E., George, N., Lachaux, J.P., Martinerie, J. Renault, B. and Varela, F.J. Perception's shadow: long-distance synchronization of human brain activity. Nature, 1999, 397: 430-433.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salenius, S., Salmelin, R., Neuper, C., Pfurtscheller, G. and Hari, R. Human cortical 40 Hz rhythm is closely related to EMG rhythmicity. Neurosci. Lett., 1996, 213: 75-78.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tallon-Baudry, C., Bertrand, O., Delpuech, C. and Pernier, J. Oscillatory gamma-band (30-70 Hz) activity induced by a visual search task in humans. J. Neurosci., 1997, 17: 722-734.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simos, P.G., Papanikolaou, E., Sakkalis, E. et al. Modulation of Gamma-Band Spectral Power by Cognitive Task Complexity. Brain Topogr 14, 191–196 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014550808164

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014550808164

Navigation