Functional dependency between EEG oscillatory activity and pupil dilation
Background Working memory engage the frontal lobes and the autonoumous nervous system. The activation of the frontal lobes can be seen as an increase in frontal midline theta (4-6 Hz) activity in the EEG signal. The activation of the autonomous nervous system can be seen as a dilation of the pupils. These two signals thus co-occur when humans use their working memory. The temporal dependency between the two signals is, however, poorly understood. We do not know, for example, to what extend we can predict the development of one signal from the other. A better understanding of this dependency may provide tools for diagnosing poor working memory function as seen in e.g. patients with dementia. It may also provide a useful tool for detecting extended working memory load and the fatigue that results therefrom. ...