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Brain Waves

Brain Waves

Brain waves are electrical signals generated by the neurons in the brain, which are regularly monitored to measure mental activities. Brain waves and their frequency ranges can be measured using an electroencephalogram or EEG. There are four main types of brain waves, each with distinct characteristics:

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Recording Human Electrocorticographic ECoG Signals for Neuroscientific Research and Real-time Functional Cortical Mapping

Recording Human Electrocorticographic ECoG Signals for Neuroscientific Research and Real-time Functional Cortical Mapping

Published on: June 26, 2012

Where Does EEG Come From and What Does It Mean?

Michael X Cohen¹

¹Donders Center for Neuroscience, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Trends in Neurosciences

|March 19, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We know surprisingly little about the origins and meaning of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Modern neuroscience tools may finally help us understand brain function and neural oscillations measured by EEG.

Keywords:

EEG computation electrophysiology neural microcircuit oscillations

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Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

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Recording Brain Activity with Ear-Electroencephalography

Recording Brain Activity with Ear-Electroencephalography

Published on: March 31, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Recording Human Electrocorticographic ECoG Signals for Neuroscientific Research and Real-time Functional Cortical Mapping

Recording Human Electrocorticographic ECoG Signals for Neuroscientific Research and Real-time Functional Cortical Mapping

Published on: June 26, 2012

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

Recording Brain Activity with Ear-Electroencephalography

Recording Brain Activity with Ear-Electroencephalography

Published on: March 31, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Brain Imaging

Background:

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a key tool for studying brain function, cognition, and dysfunction.
Despite its widespread use, the precise origins and interpretations of EEG signals remain poorly understood.
Understanding EEG signal generation is crucial for advancing neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the significant knowledge gaps regarding the source and meaning of EEG signals.
To emphasize the importance of addressing these fundamental questions in neuroscience.
To propose that advanced neuroscience technologies can provide answers.

Main Methods:

Review of current understanding of EEG signal origins.
Discussion of the role of neural oscillations as a focus for investigation.
Exploration of how modern neuroimaging and manipulation techniques can be applied.

Main Results:

The paper argues that current knowledge about EEG signal origins is limited.
Neural oscillations are identified as a promising avenue for research due to their multi-scale presence and functional relevance.
The potential of high spatiotemporal resolution neuroscience technologies is highlighted.

Conclusions:

Significant gaps exist in our understanding of EEG signal generation and meaning.
Further research utilizing advanced neuroscientific methods is needed to elucidate EEG signal origins.
Investigating neural oscillations offers a viable path towards understanding EEG in relation to cognition and neural computation.