[EEG-activity patterns in visual information processing: characteristics, variance-analytical deliminiation,...

1. In order to determine the variable distributions of 5 activation dependent EEG activity patterns occurring during visual information processing, mean values and standard deviations of the percental quantities of the frequencies 4, 5, ..., 13 Hz, 14 to 20 Hz and 21 to 30 Hz, as well as the mean amplitudes in the frequency bands 3.5 ... 7.4 Hz, 7.5 ... 13.4 Hz and 13.5 to 30 Hz were determined on corresponding to 10 s samples. It could be demonstrated by regression analysis that an interval scale level can be assumed already on the basis of cethe percental quantities in the three last mentioned frequency bands. 2. On the basis of 18 relevant variables, all the adjacent activity patterns could be separated from each other by means of univariate variance analysis at pairwise mean value comparison by at least two variables. 3. After stepwise reduction of dispensable variables in the framework of a linear discriminance analysis an optimal set of variables was determined, comprising the percental quantities of the frequencies 4, 5, 6, 10, 12 Hz, and 14 to 20 Hz, as well as the mean value of the amplitudes in the frequency band 3.5 to 7.4 Hz. In 4 our of 5 elementary discriminance functions, the mean values calculated for each pattern were significantly distinguishable from each other (analysis of variance, Newman-Keuls test). 4. By linear regression analysis it could be shown that the classification system of the EEG activity patterns at visual information processing can be mapped on an interval scale after the reduction of variables, too. Finally, data about the reliability of the scoring procedure are presented.