Divergent thinking training is related to frontal electroencephalogram alpha synchronization

Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Apr;23(8):2241-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04751.x.

Abstract

Cortical activity in the human electroencephalogram alpha band was measured (by means of an event-related approach) in a pre- and a post-test (with intermediate training) while participants (n = 30) were confronted with divergent thinking tasks. Half of the participants received a divergent thinking training (over a time period of 2 weeks) which was composed of exercises structurally similar to those used in the pre- and post-test. Analyses revealed that the training group displayed higher task-related synchronization of frontal alpha activity (i.e. increases in alpha power from the pre-stimulus reference to the activation interval) than the control group. These findings are in line with the view of frontal alpha synchronization as a selective top-down inhibition process that prevents internal or top-down information processing being disturbed by incoming external input.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alpha Rhythm*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Brain Mapping
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Learning / physiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Thinking / physiology*