BCIA Neurofeedback & EEG 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which EEG frequency band is most associated with deep sleep and delta-wave activity abnormalities in brain injury?
- Alpha
- Beta
- Delta (0.5–4 Hz) (Correct answer)
- Gamma (>30 Hz)
Correct answer: Delta (0.5–4 Hz)
Delta waves dominate during deep (stage 3) sleep and are pathologically elevated in waking states following traumatic brain injury.
Question 2: In QEEG (quantitative EEG), a Z-score compares an individual's brain activity against what reference?
- Their own prior recordings
- A normative database matched for age (Correct answer)
- A group of clinical patients
- A universal constant
Correct answer: A normative database matched for age
QEEG Z-scores express how many standard deviations an individual's EEG metrics deviate from a normative database matched for age and sometimes sex.
Question 3: The coherence measure in QEEG reflects what aspect of brain activity?
- The absolute power at a given site
- The degree of synchrony (phase relationship) between two electrode sites (Correct answer)
- The asymmetry between left and right hemispheres
- The peak frequency of dominant rhythm
Correct answer: The degree of synchrony (phase relationship) between two electrode sites
Coherence quantifies the consistency of the phase relationship between two EEG channels, indicating the degree of functional connectivity between brain regions.
Question 4: Which EEG band is associated with active cognitive processing, problem-solving, and is often increased during mental tasks?
- Delta
- Theta
- Alpha
- Beta (13–30 Hz) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Beta (13–30 Hz)
Beta activity increases during active mental engagement, focused attention, and cognitive tasks compared to relaxed resting states.
Question 5: What is the 'Peniston Protocol' primarily used for in neurofeedback?
- ADHD management via SMR/beta training
- Seizure suppression via slow cortical potential training
- Substance abuse recovery via deep alpha/theta states (Correct answer)
- Peak performance via gamma enhancement
Correct answer: Substance abuse recovery via deep alpha/theta states
The Peniston Protocol uses alpha/theta training to induce hypnagogic states associated with positive imagery and emotional processing, primarily for alcoholism and PTSD.
Question 6: Slow cortical potential (SCP) neurofeedback trains which EEG feature?
- High-frequency gamma bursts
- Very slow voltage shifts over seconds (Correct answer)
- Alpha spindles
- Beta coherence
Correct answer: Very slow voltage shifts over seconds
SCP training focuses on very slow (sub-1 Hz) cortical voltage shifts that reflect global cortical excitation thresholds, used for ADHD and epilepsy.
BCIA Neurofeedback & EEG 2
Which EEG frequency band is most associated with deep sleep and delta-wave activity abnormalities in brain injury?