THETA-SYNCHRONIZATION AND ALPHA-DESYNCHRONIZATION IN A MEMORY TASK

In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that episodic encodin g and retrieval processes are primarily reflected by a task-related in crease in theta power. Individuals performed a recognition task with a total of 192 words. The electroencephalogram was recorded during the study and recognition phase. The results show that only those words th at were later correctly recognized produced a significant increase in theta power during encoding. During the actual recognition processes t oo, a significant theta synchronization (increase in band power) was f ound for correctly remembered words only. In contrast to the theta ban d, remembered and not remembered words revealed a complex pattern of d esynchronization in the lower and upper alpha band that was different during encoding and recognition.