Differences in EEG between gifted and average students: neural complexity and functional cluster analysis

The main aim of the present study was to assess the differences in EEG between gifted and average students. Another aim of the present study was to investigate which brain areas are related to a Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) memorizing using a functional cluster (FC) analysis and how the complexity of cortical activities changes in both gifted and average students. The EEG was recorded from 16 electrodes in both 18 right-handed healthy gifted and age-matched average students before and during ROCF memorizing. FC was estimated to characterize the joint interactions among many brain regions and neural complexity. The study assessed the visuo-spatial memory abilities through examining EEG profiles using the measure of FC, and planning and executive function using recall score. The gifted students made a significantly high score compared to the average students during ROCF memorizing. Both groups showed very different FC patterns. ROCF memorizing is related to the visual mental process, thus simultaneous neuronal activities appears on the right central, temporal, occipital, and bilateral prefrontal regions. One of the notable characteristics of gifted students' FC map is the dominance of the right hemisphere compared with that of average students, and it is accordance with the characteristics of gifted brain.