Test-retest reliability of spectral parameters of the EEG

The topic of this paper is the intraindividual stability of the EEG at rest for repeated recordings with respect to two sets of spectral parameters. Variability arises due to changes in experimental conditions (such as vigilance) and also due to the inherent random elements of the EEG. The two sets of parameters considered are broad-band parameters and parameters characterizing rhythmic and 'diffuse' activity separately, derived from autoregressive fitting. In spite of some imprecision in the definition of the EEG at rest, satisfactory test-retest correlations were found. They proved to be quite homogeneous topographically, but not across frequency bands: delta power is less reliable and to some extent also beta activity, whereas the alpha bands perform well. The frequency of the alpha rhythm shows a good reliability and, given the difficulties involved with the concept, also the degree of synchronization. The power of rhythmic and of diffuse activity showed more modest retest correlations, probably to be attributed to methodological problems in determining these quantities. On the whole, the results confirm that the normal EEG can be treated as an intraindividually rather stable trait, that artifacts play a minor role in this respect and that 20 sec of activity are sufficient to reduce adequately the variability inherent in the EEG.