Training theta brain wave activity affects performance in the Virtual Water Maze
Loading...
Links to Files
Permanent Link
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2014-07-23
Type of Work
Department
Towson University. Department of Psychology
Program
Citation of Original Publication
Rights
Copyright protected, all rights reserved.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
Subjects
Abstract
Cortical theta activity is correlated with a person's use of spatial cues and landmarks to navigate through a virtual reality environment. This study used the Virtual Water Maze to study spatial navigation abilities in individuals after going through binaural pulse theta brain wave training or after listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448. The study design also included a control group that was not given any training or music to listen to. This group performed some basic math problems for the initial fifteen minutes of the study. All groups had their brain wave activity recorded through the use of a real time EEG head device. The current study hypothesized that if a theta state can be induced using binaural pulsing and if theta activity correlates with spatial navigation skill, then the participants in the binaural pulsing condition should show enhanced learning of the platform position in the Virtual Water Maze with faster latency scores relative to the no pre-training condition. The same was predicted for the Mozart condition; if Mozart's music creates a mental state of optimal learning, then the group that listens to Mozart should also experience enhanced spatial learning relative to the math condition which acted as this study's control condition receiving no theta pre-training before the Virtual Water Maze task. Results of the study showed there was no significant correlation between any of the EEG measures and the latency measure. When looking at the attention and meditation that were provided by the EEG program, the attention measure was slightly higher for the Mozart group compared to the other two groups.