Phase shifts in alpha-frequency rhythm detected in electroencephalograms influence reaction time.

Although the phase shifts in ongoing oscillations seen in electroencephalograms (EEGs) and magnetoencephalograms are an important factor in discussions of phase dynamics, such as synchrony and reset, few studies have focused specifically on the phase shift. Here we investigate the relationship between phase shifts in alpha-frequency rhythms and reaction times during a visual simple reaction task by applying our previously described method (Naruse et al., 2013), which enables detection of phase shifts from a single EEG trial. In the left, parietal, and occipital areas, the reaction times in the trials in which phase shifts were detected before the button press were significantly longer than in those in which phase shifts were not so detected. These results indicate that phase shifts in the alpha and mu rhythms relate to variability in reaction times.