EEG mean power and complexity analysis during complex mental task

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between EEG measures (mean power and sample entropy) and complex mental reasoning task (IQ test). Six healthy university students participated voluntarily in the experiment. EEG was recorded at resting states (eye open and eye closed) and during performing IQ test and analyzed over 12 regions across the scalp. EEG mean power measure of delta and theta frequency significantly (p<;0.025) discriminated the IQ test from resting states at frontal regions and alpha frequency at parietal, occipital and parieto-occipital regions. Highly reduced mean power of beta frequency was found during IQ test at parietal, occipital and parieto-occipital regions as compared to frontal regions. Results of Sample Entropy (SE) showed high complexity in EEG signal during IQ test than resting state eye closed. Our findings showed high cortical activation and increased EEG complexity during IQ test than resting states.