Spectral analysis of the cerebral activity during voluntary modulation of mental states: A high resolution EEG study

In the neuroscience field, the use of advanced techniques of EEG recording and analysis, led to look for adequate methodology to prevent type I errors, which occur in computing thousands of univariate tests in order to highlight the brain areas in which significant activity arises. In this paper we illustrate the capability of tracking the brain activity during tasks consisting in tennis playing imagery and spatial navigation imagery, by using advanced high resolution EEG methodology accompanied by the use of appropriate statistical techniques that takes into account the risk of the Type I errors. Results showed that in the Spatial Navigation condition the power spectra activity is significantly different from the rest in the bilateral parietal areas and left motor area, while in the Tennis condition the cortical activity differs from the rest in bilateral parietal areas and in the left sensory-motor cortex. These preliminary findings are in partial accordance with previous hemodynamic studies.