Brain’s alpha activity is highly reduced in euthymic bipolar disorder patients

• Published in: Cognitive neurodynamics 2012-02, Vol.6 (1), p.11-20
• Main Authors: Başar, E., Güntekin, B., Atagün, İ., Turp Gölbaşı, B., Tülay, E., Özerdem, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bipolar disorder; Brain; Brain research; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Psychology; Computer Science; EEG; Electrodes; Eye; Information processing; Medical research; Mental disorders; Mental health; Neurosciences; Pathology; Power spectrum analysis; Research Article; Rhythm; Schizophrenia; Sensory integration; Signal processing; Visual stimuli
• ISSN: 1871-4080; 1871-4099
• DOI: 10.1007/s11571-011-9172-y

Brain’s alpha activity and alpha responses belong to major electrical signals that are related to sensory/cognitive signal processing. The present study aims to analyze the spontaneous alpha activity and visual evoked alpha response in drug free euthymic bipolar patients. Eighteen DSM-IV euthymic bipolar patients (bipolar I n  = 15, bipolar II n  = 3) and 18 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Patients needed to be euthymic at least for 4 weeks and psychotrop free for at least 2 weeks. Spontaneous EEG (4 min eyes closed, 4 min eyes open) and evoked alpha response upon application of simple visual stimuli were analyzed. EEG was recorded at 30 positions. The digital FFT-based power spectrum analysis was performed for spontaneous eyes closed and eyes open conditions and the response power spectrum was also analyzed for simple visual stimuli. In the analysis of spontaneous EEG, the ANOVA on alpha responses revealed significant results for groups ( F (1,34) = 8.703; P