The Electroencephalogram of Mental Abilities

Abstract

Mental activity is so different from any other organic function that even today it is given if not an expressed at least an implied extra corporeal status. Only in relatively recent times were some of the higher functions transposed from the heart to the brain. Hippocrates had observed contralateral deficits of motor function after head injuries but did not understand the function of the central nervous system, contralaterality or the nature of mentation. During the succeeding 2,000 years the world of ideas has preceded the world of demonstrations, and today one generally accepts that the mind is in the brain even though we do not have any scientific evidence for such a statement.⁶ The research for the understanding of brain functions has recapitulated the phylogenetic progression from motor to speech, leaving at present large unexplored cortical areas euphemistically identified as silent or association areas.

Research was conducted at the psychosomatic and Psychiatric Institute for Research and Training of the Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago and was supported in part by USPHS Grant #MH-5519 A portion of the data was analysed at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Perry Point, Maryland.