Analysis of electroencephalography brain rhythms in the reading process

OBJECTIVE: To verify if, by three distinct quantifiers, the measured electroencephalographic signal at rest is different from the signal measured during a word reading situation, especially considering the faster rhythms, gamma and high-gamma, as it occurs in clinical rhythms (delta to beta). METHODS: A total of 96 electroencephalographic signals measured from neurologically healthy volunteers were evaluated at two moments: resting and word reading. Each signal segment was measured by three quantifiers that separately assess normalized power, percent power, and right and left hemisphere coherence. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the results of the quantifiers in each brain range. RESULTS: The gamma and high-gamma rhythms presented a more distinct behavior when comparing the analyzed moments (resting and reading) than the clinical rhythms. CONCLUSION: This finding contributes to the scarce literature on faster rhythms, which can contain information that is normally disregarded in neurological clinical practice.