Alpha EEG coherence in different brain states: an electrophysiological index of the arousal level in human subjects

The functional relationships between the brain areas supposedly involved in the generation of the alpha activity were quantified by means of INTRA- and INTER-hemispheric coherences during different arousal states (relaxed wakefulness, drowsiness at sleep onset, and rapid eye movement sleep) where such an activity can be clearly detectable in the human EEG. A significant decrease in the fronto-occipital as well as in the inter-frontal coherence values in the alpha range was observed with the falling of the vigilance level, which suggests that the brain mechanisms underlying these coherences are state dependent. Making fronto-frontal coherence values in the alpha frequency band useful indexes to discern between brain functional states characterized by a different arousal level.