2011 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 137-145
We examined the beta band appearance patterns in an electroencephalogram, which reflects the cortical activity and information processing, during a choice reaction task (CRT) performed before and after a brief period of high-intensity exercise.
To clear which beta band activity reflects information processing in the cerebral cortex, 12 healthy participants performed the CRT followed by a rest condition (RC). Then, the participants ran all out for a brief period. The RC consisted of gazing at a fixed point for 5 minutes. The CRT was performed using a visual stimulus of a 6-, 7-, and 8-points star. Participants were asked to push a button when the 6-points star appeared. A 128-channel electroencephalogram data, which was recorded from the scalp, was filtered through a 3-30 Hz bandpass, processed using a fast Fourier transform, and separated into the beta 1 and beta 2 bands. We compared the reaction time and distribution of both bands on each electrode measured before and after the exercise.
Distribution of the beta 1 band in all regions of the cerebral cortex was higher during the CRT than during the RC. The post-exercise reaction time was shorter than the pre-exercise reaction time and the post-exercise distribution of the beta 1 band increased in the left motor, left temporal, and bilateral occipital regions.
These results suggest that the beta 1 band activity reflects information processing in the cerebral cortex during the CRT and a brief period of high-intensity exercise activated the regions of the cerebral cortex relevant to information processing.
