Feedback for High EEG Alpha Does Not Maintain Performance or Mood During Sleep Loss

Can performance and mood during sleep loss be maintained by self-induced high EEG alpha activity? In a previous study, most of the performance and mood measures showed sleep-loss impairment regardless of EEG alpha level, but attention and reported sleepiness were less impaired for the high-alpha group (although the differences were of doubtful significance). A constructive replication was carried out. In Group A (N=10) auditory feedback was contingent on high alpha, and in Group B (N=10) auditory feedback was contingent on low alpha and low theta. All subjects were repeatedly measured on auditory vigilance, addition, immediate recall, and feelings of sleepiness for 40 hrs during which no sleep was permitted. Sixty min of EEG feedback were given during each block of 220 min. Group A did produce significantly more alpha for the first 24 hrs but this difference was not maintained. Both groups had significant sleep-loss impairment on all measures. There were no significant differences between the groups in the amount of impairment. Self-enhanced EEG alpha activity does not prevent impairment of performance or mood during sleep loss.