Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Alpha rhythms as physiological and abnormal phenomena

E Niedermeyer1

  • 1Department of Neurology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287-7247, USA.

International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
|June 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The value of the EEG in diagnosis, treatmen,t and prognosis of childhood epilepsy.

Pediatric annals·2014
Same author

Alzheimer disease: primary ischemia concept and promising therapy.

La Clinica terapeutica·2009
Same author

Hippocampic theta rhythm.

Clinical EEG and neuroscience·2008
Same author

Vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency and electroencephalogram.

Clinical EEG and neuroscience·2008
Same author

Akinesia and the frontal lobe.

Clinical EEG and neuroscience·2008
Same author

Considerations of the ischemic basis and therapy of Alzheimer Disease.

Clinical EEG and neuroscience·2007
Same journal

Comparison of slow-paced breathing interventions with and without an inhalation-hold on physiological outcomes: A randomized cross-over pilot study.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
Same journal

The role of inferior frontal gyrus in emotion regulation: Evidence from fMRI and tDCS investigation.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
Same journal

Trait anxiety in young adults is more consistently associated with resting-state EEG microstate transitions than with stationary spectral power.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
Same journal

Neural modulation of emotional-word processing during the attentional blink under varying T1 task demands: An ERP study.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
Same journal

Attentional resource allocation in the early stages of motor skill learning.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
Same journal

Operation-specific ERP dynamics of arithmetic processing in children with developmental dyscalculia.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2026
See all related articles

Healthy humans exhibit three distinct alpha rhythms: posterior, Rolandic mu, and midtemporal third rhythms. These brainwave patterns, crucial for cognitive function, show variations in development, detection, and response to stimuli.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Human Physiology
  • Electroencephalography (EEG)

Background:

  • Mature, healthy humans possess three distinct physiological alpha rhythms: posterior alpha, Rolandic mu rhythm, and the midtemporal 'third rhythm'.
  • The posterior alpha rhythm undergoes developmental changes, emerging in infancy and stabilizing in early childhood, with frequency variations linked to age and pathology.
  • While posterior alpha is widely detectable, Rolandic mu and midtemporal rhythms are less consistently observed via scalp EEG, suggesting varied physiological relevance and detection challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate the characteristics and physiological significance of the three primary human alpha rhythms.
  • To explore the developmental trajectory, detection variability, and pathological associations of these brainwave patterns.
  • To investigate the functional roles and stimulus-response dynamics of posterior alpha, mu, and third rhythms.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing literature on human alpha rhythms.
  • Analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) data concerning alpha rhythm development, detection, and responses to visual, mental, and auditory stimuli.
  • Discussion of abnormal alpha activity, such as alpha coma, to contextualize physiological rhythms.

Main Results:

  • The posterior alpha rhythm shows a clear developmental path and is subject to physiological changes and pathological deceleration.
  • Rolandic mu rhythm, though detected in a minority, is presumed present in all healthy adults, with potential links to CNS dysfunction and epilepsy.
  • The midtemporal third rhythm's functional significance is debated, with inconsistent responses to cognitive and auditory stimuli, and limited scalp detectability.

Conclusions:

  • Physiological alpha rhythms are fundamental to brain function, exhibiting diverse characteristics and developmental patterns.
  • Variations in alpha rhythm detection and response highlight the complexity of neural synchronization and cognitive processing.
  • Further research into alpha rhythms, including event-related changes, is essential for understanding brain activity and neurological conditions.