The Patterned Brain Wave

Brain waves are patterns of electrical activity occurring in the brain .

They are crucial to all aspects of brain functioning: thoughts, emotions , and behaviors.

Because brain activity can be influenced and altered through neurofeedback , desirable brain activity can be increased in those who are experiencing symptoms of certain mental health conditions.

Creativity often means taking the road less traveled.

UNDERSTANDING BRAIN WAVES

The human brain is made up of brain cells called neurons, which communicate with each other through electrical brain waves.

 

The pattern of brain waves changes depending on one’s level of consciousness and cognitive processing.

For example, when one feels fatigued or dreamy, slower brainwaves are likely dominant at that time.

Brain activity is generally characterized by a combination of brain waves.

Depending on what one is doing at the time, a particular brain wave will be dominant over the others.

This balance is important: When one’s brainwaves are not balanced properly, that individual may experience both emotional and neuro-physical health concerns.

Brain waves were discovered by German neurologist Hans Berger in the mid-1920s.

Though Berger’s path to this discovery began because he wanted to record what he thought was psychic energy in the brain, he eventually narrowed his focus and successfully made the first recording of electrical waves in the brain: an electroencephalogram, or EEG.

Since his discovery, EEGs have been used to provide useful information about one’s mental state and functioning, as they can lead to the diagnosis of
epilepsy, sleep conditions, Alzheimer’s , and other issues related to brain functioning.

New research identifies the neural mechanism that enables us to come up with unexpected associations and original ideas.

         

New research finds that certain brain waves enable creative thought.
Scientists' attempts at deciphering the neurological processes that explain creativity have recently zeroed in on the brain's so-called alpha waves .

Alpha waves are strong when the brain's visual cortex is resting. For example, when a person is relaxed and closes their eyes, alpha wave activity is higher. When they open their eyes, this attenuates alpha activity.

More recently, scientists have hypothesized that alpha waves might serve to inhibit certain cortical areas when these are not necessary.

Some researchers have even suggested that there is an association between the strength of these waves and creativity.

Alpha waves generate unusual associations
The researchers used electrical current to stimulate the right temporal part of the brain at the alpha frequency while the participants engaged in a range of creative tasks.

To stimulate the brain, the researchers used a noninvasive procedure called transcranial alternating current brain stimulation (tACS).

Using an electroencephalogram (EEG), researchers monitored the effect that tACS had on different brain waves. The tasks that the participants took part in involved word associations.

When it needs to find words that connect to one another, the brain typically starts with stronger or more common associations and gradually moves on toward less familiar ones.

For instance, if we start with the word "cat," we might initially associate it with words such as "dog," "animal," and "pet," before gradually moving toward more remote concepts, such as "human," "people," and "family."

"Taking a less traveled route is needed for thinking creatively, and our findings provide some evidence on how this is done in our brain."

The study's lead researcher also comments to explain how the findings illuminate the nature of creativity and how alpha brain waves help inhibit habitual ways of thinking in favor of unexpected, more ingenious ones.

        

BRAIN WAVES AND MENTAL HEALTH

Brain waves are relevant to mental health, as abnormalities in brain functioning can influence the development of certain conditions.

For example, when certain areas of the brain are over-aroused, an individual may experience anxiety , nightmares or other sleep problems, impulsivity, and aggression.

Too little arousal in the brain, on the other hand, has been correlated with depression, chronic pain , and insomnia .

If brain rhythms are unstable, an individual may experience obsessive compulsions , develop
epilepsy, or have panic attacks .

See Also: Maintain Your Creative Brain 

Neuroscientists have recently discovered a link between an overabundance of gamma waves in the brain and schizophrenia .

Gamma waves cause hyperactivity in areas of the brain, and when this hyperactivity is abnormally high, as it often is in those with schizophrenia, delusions and
hallucinations can result.

Poor sleep, which also results from an excess of hyperactive brain waves, has also been recently shown to be a contributing factor to symptoms of schizophrenia: Those who have trouble sleeping due to overabundant gamma waves in the brain may experience a “triggering” of schizophrenia symptoms.

Research on brain waves has also shown that certain individuals may be biologically more likely to experience depression.

These individuals demonstrate an abundance of alpha wave activity in the left frontal areas of their brain. 

Another condition that is characterized by an excess of lower frequency brain waves is attention deficit hyperactivity.

However, both of these conditions, along with others, have shown improvement when treated with neurofeedback therapy.

Neurofeedback is a therapeutic technique that is used to monitor and change brain wave patterns in an attempt to modify behaviors and improve mental health.

In this type of therapy, individuals are taught to alter the flow of brain waves.

A therapist uses EEG readings to determine the level of brain waves and assess the predominance of abnormal activity and then rewards the desired brain wave activity to encourage its production.

In an individual who has depression, for example, the therapist will use sound and visual effects to reward beta waves in order to help relieve the symptoms of depression.

Read Also How To Care For Your Brain