SIMULTANEOUS VARIATION IN THE HEART AND BRAIN ELECTRICAL FIELDS

Abstract

The author measured a participant’s heart and brain electrical fields simultaneously using EEG electrodes and neurofeedback software while her psychophysiological state was being varied. In the first session, the participant was in an awake-alert state in bright light; in the second she was in a drowsy state in dim light; in both conditions recordings were made with eyes open and eyes closed. Significant differences in EEG amplitude were found in both the brain and heart electrical fields comparing the psychophysiological states of eyes open/eyes closed and alert/drowsy. It is possible to study the participation of peripheral nerve centers such as the cardiac plexus in psychophysiological state change and information processing.