Feedback of Slow Cortical Potentials. Basics, Application, and Evidence

This chapter discusses the origins of slow cortical potentials (SCP) activity, followed by a description of the technical requirements. Feedback, diagnosis, and evaluation requirements are also addressed. SCPs belong to the family of event-related potentials (ERPs). The common feature of brain potentials subsumed under this category is that they are time-locked to a specific event. These events may be external or internal and include physical stimuli, behavioral responses, and cognitive and emotional processes. To detect these deflections within the raw electroencephalography (EEG), averaging techniques are required. The timing of these responses reflects diverse aspects of brain communication and information processing. ERPs can be observed from ∼50 to 1000 msec after the onset of a stimulus, and subdivided into early and late components on the basis of their latency and direction of deviance. Finally, the chapter concludes with a review of the published research of SCP feedback and epilepsy, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and migraines.