Individual alpha peak frequency is related to latent factors of general cognitive abilities

Abstract

Some eighty years after the discovery of the human electroencephalogram (EEG) and its dominant rhythm, alpha (~10 Hz), the neurophysiological functions and behavioral correlates of alpha oscillations are still under debate. Similarly, the biological mechanisms contributing to the general factor of intelligence, or g, have been under scrutiny for decades. Individual alpha frequency (IAF), a trait-like parameter of the EEG, has been found to correlate with individual differences in cognitive performance and cognitive abilities. Informed by large-scale theories of neural organization emphasizing the general functional significance of oscillatory activity, the present study replicates and extends these findings by testing the hypothesis that IAF is related to intelligence at the level of g, rather than at the level of specific cognitive abilities. Structural equation modeling allowed us to statistically control for measurement error when estimating the association between IAF and intellectual functioning. In line with our hypothesis, we found a statistically reliable and substantial correlation between IAF and g (r = .40). The magnitude of this correlation did not differ significantly between younger and older adults, and captured all of the covariation between IAF and the cognitive abilities of reasoning, memory, and perceptual speed. The observed association between IAF and g provides a parsimonious explanation for the commonly observed diffuse pattern of correlations between IAF and cognitive performance. We conclude that IAF is a marker of global architectural and functional properties of the human brain.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation to the inferior parietal lobe decreases mu suppression to egocentric, but not allocentric hand movements

“…The occipital and parietal sites were chosen based on the rationale that alpha oscillations are strongest over these areas, and due to numerous previous studies also using these electrodes to define IAF (e.g. Klimesch, 1999;Puzzo et al, 2013;Grandy et al, 2013;Gutman et al, 2015;Haegens et al, 2014;Cecere et al, 2015). Graphical representation and details of procedure are provided in Figure 3 below.…”

Heritability and molecular‐genetic basis of resting EEG activity: A genome‐wide association study

“…Robust individual differences are observed for the dominant (or peak) frequency of the alpha rhythm, which declines with aging (Obrist, 1979) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (Stam, 2005). Individual differences in alpha peak frequency have been reported to be associated with working memory (Clark et al, 2004) and intelligence (Grandy et al, 2013), although not in all studies (Posthuma, Neale, Boomsma, & de Geus, 2001). Like alpha power, alpha peak frequency is highly heritable, with estimates of approximately .80 (Posthuma et al, 2001; C.…”

The interrelation between sensorimotor abilities, cognitive performance and individual EEG alpha peak frequency in young children

“…Among the quantitative EEG parameters, the individual alpha peak frequency (iAPF) was found to be the best signature of brain maturation (Valdés et al, 1990). The iAPF is the dominant oscillatory frequency in the human EEG during relaxed wakefulness, and it is considered a marker of global architectural and functional properties of the human brain (Grandy et al, 2013a). It increases from infancy to adulthood, then decreases with age analogue to changes in brain architecture and general cognitive abilities (Klimesch, 1999).…”

“…The iAPF shows large interindividual variability and has been shown to correlate with a range of cognitive tasks in adults. For example, adult individuals with higher iAPF show shorter reaction times (Jin et al, 2006), better working memory scores (Richard Clark et al, 2004;Grandy et al, 2013a) and superior memory performance (Klimesch et al, 1993). Although the iAPF is consistently discussed as a neurophysiological marker of brain maturation, the relationship between iAPF and behaviour during childhood development remains unknown.…”