Skip to main content

Self-Regulation of Slow Cortical Potentials and Its Role in Epileptogenesis

  • Chapter
International Perspectives on Self-Regulation and Health

Abstract

The prevalence of epileptic disorders is estimated to be around 1%, amounting to 1.5 million people in the United States. In at least one-third of all cases the epileptic seizures cannot be adequately controlled through antiepileptic medication. About 20% of the epileptic population is considered refractory to anticonvulsant management. And even if the seizures can be brought under control by antiepileptic medication, the side effects of the drugs put considerable strains on the patient’s life (Penry & Rahel, 1986). Research has been conducted on alternative approaches relying on behavioral treatment alone or in combination with pharmacological treatment. Behavioral techniques generally have negligible side effects, which of course is highly desirable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bauer, H. (1984). Regulation of slow brain potentials affects task performance. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 216–226). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, H., & Lauber, W. (1979). Operant conditioning of brain steady potential shifts in man. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 4, 145–154.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, H., & Nirnberger, G. (1980). Paired associate learning with feedback of DC-potential shifts of the cerebral cortex. Archives of Psychology, 132, 237–238.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, H., & Nirnberger, G. (1981). Concept identification as a function of preceding negative or positive spontaneous shifts in slow brain potentials. Psychophysiology, 18, 466–469.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benton, A. L. (1985). The Revised Visual Retention Test. New York: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birbaumer, N., Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., & Lutzenberger, W. (1981). Biofeedback of slow cortical potentials. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 16, 389–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birbaumer, N., Lang, P., Cook, E., Elbert, T., Lutzenberger, W., & Rockstroh, B. (1988). Self-regulation of slow brain potentials and imagery. International Journal of Neuroscience, 39, 101–116.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birbaumer, N., Elbert, T., Canavan, A., & Rockstroh, B. (1990). Slow potentials of the cerebral cortex and behavior. Physiological Reviews, 70(1), 1–41.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Born, J., Whipple, S., & Stamm, J. S. (1982). Spontaneous cortical slow potential shifts and choice reaction time performance. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 54, 668–676.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braitenberg, V. (1978). Cell assemblies in the cerebral cortex. In R. Heim & G. Palm (Eds.), Theoretical approach to complex systems (pp. 171–188). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • von Bülow, I., Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., Lutzenberger, W., Canavan, A., & Birbaumer, N. (1989). Effects of hyperventilation on EEG frequency and slow cortical potentials in relation to an anticonvulsant and epilepsy. Journal of Psychophysiology, 3, 147–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butters, N., Soeldner, C., & Fedio, P. (1972). Comparison of parietal and frontal lobe spatial deficits in man: Extrapersonal versus personal (egocentric) space. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 34, 27–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Canavan, A. G. M. (1983). Stylus maze performance in patients with frontal lobe lesions: Effects of signal valency and relationship to verbal and spatial abilities. Neuropsychologia, 21, 375–382.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Canavan, A. G. M., Dunn, G., & McMillan, T. (1986). Principal components of the WAIS-R. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 25, 81–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canavan, A. G. M., Passingham, R. E., Marsden, C. D., Quinn, N., Wyke, M., & Polkey, C. E. (1989). The performance on learning tasks of patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Neuropsychologia, 27, 141–156.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caspers, H., & Speckmann, E.-J. (1969). DC-potential shifts in paroxysmal states. In H. H. Jasper, A. A. Ward, & A. Pope (Eds.), Basic mechanisms of the epilepsies. Boston: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspers, H., & Speckmann, E.-J. (1974). Cortical DC-shifts associated with changes of gas tension in blood and tissue. In A. Remond (Ed.), Handbook of electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology (Vol. 10, pp. 41–65). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspers, H., Speckmann, E.-J., & Lehmenkuehler, A. (1984). Electrogenesis of slow potentials of the brain. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 25–41). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chatrian, G. E., Somasundaram, M., & Tassinari, C. A. (1968). DC-changes recorded transcranially during “typical” 3/sec spike and wave discharges in men. Epilepsia, 9, 185–209.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, J., Melin, L., Brorson, L.-O., & Schollin, J. (1985). Effects of a broad-spectrum behavior modification treatment program on children with refractory epileptic seizures. Epilepsia, 26, 303–309.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Efron, R. (1957). Conditioned inhibition of uncinate fits. Brain, 80, 251–260.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T. (1978). Biofeedback langsamer kortikaler Potentiale. Munich: Minerva.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T. (1986). Externally and self-induced CNV patterns of the brain hemispheres—A sign of task-specific preparation. Human Neurobiology, 5, 67–69.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T., & Rockstroh, B. (1987). Threshold regulation—A key to the understanding of the combined dynamics of EEG and event-related potentials, Journal of Psychophysiology, 1(4), 317–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T., Birbaumer, N., Lutzenberger, W., & Rockstroh, B. (1979). Biofeedback of slow cortical potentials: Self-regulation of central and autonomic patterns. In N. Birbaumer & H. D. Kimmel (Eds.), Biofeedback and self-regulation (pp. 321–342). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., Lutzenberger, W., & Birbaumer, N. (1980). Biofeedback of slow cortical potentials. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 48, 293–301.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., Lutzenberger, W., & Birbaumer, N. (Eds.). (1984). Self-regulation of the brain and behavior. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forster, F. M. (1969). Conditioned reflexes and sensory-evoked epilepsy: The nature of the therapeutic process. Conditional Reflex, 4, 103–114.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forster, F. M. (1972). The classification and conditioning treatment of the reflex epilepsies. International Journal of Neurology, 9, 73–86.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forster, F. M. (1977). Reflex epilepsy, behavioral therapy, and conditional reflexes. Springfield, IL: Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fried, R., Rubin, S. R., Carlton, R. M., & Fox, M. C. (1984). Behavioral control of intractable idiopathic seizures: I. Self-regulation of end-tidal carbon dioxide. Psychosomatic Medicine, 46, 315–332.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, L. H., Canavan, A. G. M., & Polkey, C. E. (1988). Verbal and abstract designs paired associate learning after unilateral temporal lobectomy. Cortex, 24, 41–52.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lubar, J. (1982). EEG operant conditioning in severe epilepsy. Controlled multidimensional studies. In L. White & B. Tursky (Eds.), Clinical biofeedback (pp. 288–310). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lubar, J. (1984). Application of operant conditioning of the EEG for the management of epileptic seizures. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 107–125). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lutzenberger, W., Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., & Birbaumer, N. (1979). Effects of slow cortical potentials on performance in a signal detection task. International Journal of Neuroscience, 9, 175–183.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lutzenberger, W., Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., & Birbaumer, N. (1982). Biofeedback of slow cortical potentials and its effects on the performance in mental arithmetic tasks. Biological Psychology, 14, 99–111.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milner, B. (1964). Some effects of frontal lobectomy in man. In J. M. Warren & K. Akert (Eds.), The frontal granular cortex and behaviour (pp. 313–334). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, H. E. (1976). A modified card sorting test sensitive to frontal lobe defects. Cortex, 12, 313–324.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Penry, K., & Rahel, R. E. (1986). Epilepsy: Diagnosis, management, quality of life. New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, G. E. (1979). The relationship between intelligence and verbal and spatial memory. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35, 336–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, G. E., Polkey, C. E., & McMillan, T. (1985). The new Maudsley series of temporal lobectomy. I: Short-term cognitive effects. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 24, 109–124.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, G. E., Polkey, C. E., & Canavan, A. G. M. (1987). Lateralisation of memory functions in epileptic patients by use of sodium amytal (Wada) technique. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 50, 665–672.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, L., Rockstroh, B., Lutzenberger, W., Elbert, T., & Birbaumer, N. (1989). Self-reports during feedback regulation of slow cortical potentials. Psychophysiology, 26, 392–403.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B. (1987). Operant control of slow brain potentials. In J. N. Hintgen, D. Hellhammer, & G. Huppmann (Eds.), Advanced methods in psychobiology (pp. 179–190). Toronto: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B. (1989). Area-specific self-regulation of slow cortical potentials. In E. Basar & T. Bullock (Ed.), Dynamics of sensory and cognitive processing by the brain (pp. 467–476). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., Birbaumer, N., & Lutzenberger, W. (1982). Slow brain potentials and behavior. Baltimore: Urban & Schwarzenberg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., Lutzenberger, W., & Birbaumer, N. (1984a). Operant control of slow brain potentials: A tool in the investigation of the potential’s meaning and its relation to attentive dysfunction. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 227–239). Berlin/ Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Birbaumer, N., Elbert, T., & Lutzenberger, W. (1984b). Operant control of EEG, event-related and slow potentials. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 9, 139–160.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., Lutzenberger, W., Altenmüller, E., Diener, H.-C., Birbaumer, N., & Dichgans, J. (1987). Effects of the anticonvulsant carbamazepine on event-related brain potentials in humans. In R. Nodar, C. Barber, & T. Blum (Eds.), Evoked Potentials (Vol. 3, pp. 361–369). London: Butterworths.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., Canavan, A., & Lutzenberger, W. (1989). Slow cortical potentials and behavior(2nd ed.) Munich: Urban & Schwarzenberg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rockstroh, B., Elbert, T., Lutzenberger, W., & Altenmüller, E. (in press). Effects of the anticonvulsant benzodiazepine Clonazepam on event-related brain potentials in humans. Journal of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spunt, A., Heimann, B. P., & Rousseau, A. M. (1986). Epilepsy. In M. Hersen (Ed.), Pharmacological and behavioral treatment (pp. 178–198). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stamm, J. S. (1984). Performance enhancements with cortical negative slow potential shift in man and monkey. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 199–215). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stamm, J. S., Whipple, S., & Born, J. (1987). Effects of spontaneous cortical slow potentials on semantic information processing. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 5, 11–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, M. B. (1982). EEG biofeedback in the treatment of epilepsy: An overview circa 1980. In L. White & B. Tursky (Eds.), Clinical biofeedback (pp. 311–330). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, M. B. (1984). The role of sensorimotor rhythmic EEG activity in the etiology and treatment of generalized motor seizures. In T. Elbert, B. Rockstroh, W. Lutzenberger, & N. Birbaumer (Eds.), Self-regulation of the brain and behavior (pp. 95–106). Berlin/ Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, M. B. (1986). Epilepsy and its treatment with EEG feedback. Annals of the Behavioral Medicine Society, 8, 21–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, M. B., Lantz, D., Bruckler, R. M., & Kovalesky, R. A. (1981). Effects of sensorimotor EEG normalization feedback training on seizure rate in poorly controlled epileptics. Proceedings of the Biofeedback Society of America, 12th Annual Meeting, Louisville.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trimmel, M. (1986). DC potentials of the brain. In D. Papakostopoulos, S. Butler, & I. Martin (Eds.), Clinical and experimental neuropsychology (pp. 312–338). London: Croom Helm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ueda, M., Furumitsu, I., & Kakigi, S. (1985). Self-regulation of contingent negative variation (CNV) using immediate feedback. Japanese Journal of Physiology, Psychology and Psychophysiology, 3, 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1981). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitsett, S., & Lubar, J. (1981). Evidence of changes in the sleep EEG following biofeedback treatment of epilepsy. Proceedings of the Biofeedback Society of America, 12th Annual Meeting, Louisville.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Elbert, T. et al. (1991). Self-Regulation of Slow Cortical Potentials and Its Role in Epileptogenesis. In: Carlson, J.G., Seifert, A.R. (eds) International Perspectives on Self-Regulation and Health. The Springer Series in Behavioral Psychophysiology and Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2596-1_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2596-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-2598-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-2596-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics