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Study highlights effect of brain waves on human behaviour

5 October 2009

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Boosting a certain type of brain wave can slow people's movements, researchers from the Sobell Department of Movement Disorders have discovered.

The findings, published online by the journal Current Biology, offer the first direct evidence that brain waves can influence ongoing behaviour in otherwise healthy individuals. They could also lead to the development of new treatments for medical conditions characterised by either uncontrolled or slowed movements.

'At last we have some direct experimental proof that brain waves influence behaviour in humans, in this case how fast a movement is performed,' said Professor Peter Brown, who led the research.

The findings also help to explain how the high levels of beta activity found in Parkinson's patients could be behind the slower movements that characterise the disease.

read more >> CORDIS | EurekAlert | BBC News

reference >> Current Biology, 01 October 2009. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.07.074
Boosting Cortical Activity at Beta-Band Frequencies Slows Movement in Humans
Alek Pogosyan, Louise Doyle Gaynor, Alexandre Eusebio and Peter Brown.

Adapted from materials supplied by CORDIS (European Commission Gateway to Research & Development)