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Electroencephalographic characteristics of cognitive-specific attention in verbal learning—II: General characteristics of EEG spatial synchronization

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Abstract

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded in 19 standard derivations in 88 subjects (students) in states of: rest with the eyes open; memorization (learning) of verbal bilingual semantic pairs (Latin and Russian); and recollection (control) of the memorized information. Estimates of EEG coherence in these states were compared using statistical methods for the frequency bands θ, α1, α2, β1, β2, and γ. The results of this comparison showed that transition from the state of rest to those of memorization and recollection was accompanied by numerous changes in coherence in all the frequency bands. These changes varied in intensity and embrace practically the entire convexital cerebral cortex. Decrease in EEG coherence was predominant during the transition to the memorization state in various frequency bands, whereas during the transition from the rest state to that of recollection, EEG coherence increased in most of the frequency bands except for the band α2. The reproducibility of this pattern of changes in EEG coherence is confirmed by the results in the subgroups formed by randomly subdividing the subjects into two groups. We think that the observed intense rearrangement of the spatial synchronization of the cortex electrical activity reflects the reorganization of the functional systems of neuronal ensembles to provide efficient memorization and recollection, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of the Human Brain, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 197022, Russia

    S. G. Danko

  2. Institute of Cognitive Neurology, Modern Academy for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia

    L. M. Kachalova & M. L. Solovjeva

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  1. S. G. Danko
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  2. L. M. Kachalova
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  3. M. L. Solovjeva
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Original Russian Text © S.G. Danko, L.M. Kachalova, M.L. Solovjeva, 2009, published in Fiziologiya Cheloveka, 2009, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 5–12.

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Danko, S.G., Kachalova, L.M. & Solovjeva, M.L. Electroencephalographic characteristics of cognitive-specific attention in verbal learning—II: General characteristics of EEG spatial synchronization. Hum Physiol 35, 395–401 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1134/S036211970904001X

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