Operant conditioning of the sensorimotor rhythm of the human electroencephalogram with time-outs contingent on epileptiform activity reduces epileptic seizure rates in patients whose seizures are not well controlled by medication. A comparison of this procedure with time-out training alone demonstrates that operant conditioning of the sensorimotor rhythm is neither necessary nor sufficient for seizure reduction.

Tested the hypothesis that discrimination of a response automatically leads to control over that response. 24 Ss participated in 2 experiments, with occipital alpha EEG activity being the discriminative stimulus. Results indicate that holding the probabilities of alpha and nonalpha discrimination trials near .50 results in an absence of learning curves, but leaves open the possibility that sophisticated Ss are capable of discriminating alpha and nonalpha activity. However, learning to increase percent-time nonalpha or decrease percent-time alpha with respect to baseline levels by means of EEG-contingent stimulation provides Ss with the ability to suppress percent-time alpha in the absence of feedback. Interview information indicates that Ss most often acquired their control of alpha activity during feedback by a specific strategy, and then used the strategy during the stimulus-control tests. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Reports an experiment based on the idea that a joint manipulation of both cognitive and physiological (i.e., alpha EEG) variables would provide information required for an explication of the process involved in subjective mood change. 40 Ss, mostly high school students, participated. Three main variables were considered. First, the instructions were designed to induce a "set" or expectations for either positive or negative changes in subjective mood. Second, the type of feedback (alpha or not alpha) was varied, contingent on the presence or absence of alpha activity. Third, an estimate of each individual's baseline alpha density was obtained, and on this basis Ss were classified as high- or low-baseline. Baseline alpha density, alpha density during training, and subjective mood were all considered as continuous variables. Results indicate that biofeedback of the cortical alpha rhythm is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for changes in subjective mood. In addition, the type of instructions designed to set Ss for alterations in subjective states is predictive of changes in subjective state reported during alpha biofeedback training, as well as of success at controlling and changing EEG during feedback training. These data permit a direct examination of the actual relationship of EEG changes to changes in subjective mood state. Both positive and negative subjective experiences can be associated with increases in alpha activity. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The utility of currently available cortical prosthetic vision systems is disappointing. The essential features of a neuromorphic device that is predicted to enhance vision provided by available systems follow from a hypothesis which states that the objective and subjective aspects of cortical prosthetic vision jointly constitute patterns that emerge from specified synaptic interactions. The research reported here completes several required steps in developing an emulation of this device: (1) replication of small-scale simulations that are consistent with the hypothesis using the NEST (Écublens, Vaud, Switzerland) simulator, which can also be used for full-scale network emulation by a neuromorphic computer; (2) testing whether results consistent with the hypothesis survive increasing the scale and duration of simulations; (3) establishing a method that uses numbers of spikes produced by network neurons to report the number of phosphenes produced by cortical stimulation; and (4) simulating essential functions of a neuromorphic device which is predicted to enhance current prosthetic systems. NEST simulations replicated early results and increasing their scale and duration produced results consistent with the hypothesis. A decision function created using multinomial logistic regression correctly reported the expected number of phosphenes for three sets of 2080 spike number distributions in which half of each set arises from simulations expected to yield continuous visual forms by engaging a desired visual geometry. A process for modulating electrical stimulation amplitude based on intermittent population recordings that is predicted to produce desired visual geometries was successfully simulated. Implications of these results for future research are discussed.