Common stressors amongst postsecondary students are exam-induced anxiety and stress. The purpose of this study was to measure stress alterations in the student population around examinations and determine how they affect electroencephalogram (EEG) profiles and memory scores. Twenty university students were measured multiple times in the study. During each measurement, participants were administered a cortisol saliva test and an EEG. We hypothesized that cortisol levels, memory scores, and EEG profiles would all demonstrate changes near examinations. The brain regions of interest (ROIs) were the parahippocampal gyrus, the medial frontal gyrus, and the middle frontal gyrus. Results demonstrated that memory performance and parahippocampal activity were correlated, specifically in the 5–9 Hz frequency band. Correlations were also computed between cortisol levels, memory performance, and parahippocampal activity. The medial frontal gyrus also displayed changes in the mean (19–20 Hz) current source density (CSD) throughout the experiment. The middle frontal gyrus activation was highly variable during the different measurement time points. Essentially, when an individual’s memory scores were consistent between exam and nonexam trials, there was an increase in middle frontal gyrus activation during examination periods. Lastly, the right parahippocampal gyrus was found to be the most activated one day away from examination time. These results indicate that memory scores are related to cortisol levels and examination periods, but most importantly, there are overt and predictable alterations in student EEG profiles near examinations.

Cells are continually exposed to a range of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), including those from the Schumann resonance to radio waves. The effects of EMFs on cells are diverse and vary based on the specific EMF type. Recent research suggests potential therapeutic applications of EMFs for various diseases. In this study, we explored the impact of a physiologically patterned EMF, inspired by the H3 receptor associated with wakefulness, on PC-12 cells in vitro. Our hypothesis posited that the application of this EMF to differentiated PC-12 cells could enhance firing patterns at specific frequencies. Cell electrophysiology was assessed using a novel device, allowing the computation of spectral power density (SPD) scores for frequencies between 1 Hz and 128 Hz. T-tests comparing SPD at certain frequencies (e.g., 29 Hz, 30 Hz, and 79 Hz) between the H3-EMF and control groups showed a significantly higher SPD in the H3 group (p < 0.050). Moreover, at 7.8 Hz and 71 Hz, a significant correlation was observed between predicted and percentages of cells with neurites (R = 0.542). Key findings indicate the efficacy of the new electrophysiology measure for assessing PC-12 cell activity, a significant increase in cellular activity with the H3-receptor-inspired EMF at specific frequencies, and the influence of 7.8 Hz and 71 Hz frequencies on neurite growth. The overall findings support the idea that the electrical frequency profiles of developing cell systems can serve as an indicator of their progression and eventual cellular outcomes.