EEG alpha power and alpha power asymmetry in sleep and wakefulness.
Ruth M. Benca, W H Obermeyer, C L Larson, B Yun, I Dolski, K D Kleist, S M Weber, Richard J. Davidson
Psychophysiology July 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1111/1469-8986.3640430 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients undergoing polysomnographic evaluation for possible sleep disorders |
| Keywords | Frontal lobe Humans Alpha rhythm Polysomnography Analysis of variance Linear models Wakefulness Sleep stages Adult Middle aged Female Sleep wake disorders |
| Key findings | Frontal and temporal alpha EEG asymmetry during waking correlated significantly with asymmetry during sleep, particularly REM sleep, suggesting these patterns are stable across states and may relate to emotional reactivity during dreaming. Alpha power was highest during slow-wave sleep and lowest during REM sleep. |
Abstract
Asymmetry of waking electroencephalography (EEG) alpha power in frontal regions has been correlated with waking emotional reactivity and the emotional content of dream reports. Little is known regarding alpha asymmetry during sleep. The present study was performed to compare alpha power and alpha power asymmetry in various brain regions across states of sleep and wakefulness. Waking and sleep EEG were recorded in a group of patients undergoing polysomnographic evaluation for possible sleep disorders. Alpha EEG asymmetry in frontal and temporal regions was significantly correlated in waking versus sleep, particularly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These results suggest that patterns of frontal alpha asymmetry are stable across sleep and waking and may be related to emotional reactivity during dreaming. During sleep, alpha power was highest during slow-wave sleep and lowest during REM sleep. Implications of these data for understanding the functional significance of alpha power during waking and sleeping are considered.
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