EEG and Topography during Chinese qigong training

EEGs of the qigong therapiists and their subjects were measured simultaneiously. In the resting condtion with eyes closed the alpha-wave power of qigong therapists was significantly small and diffusely spread toward the frontal region; the mean value of the square root of the maximum power was 12.0±1.4 microvolts (±SE; n=27), and that of the general subjects (non-trainees) was 28.3±3.3 microvolts (n=21) (p<0.01). When the qigongists let themselves into the qigong condition, the frontal alpha became clearer, and more synchronistic with the occipital alpha; i.e., by means of the cross corrleation the time lag between O1- and Fp1-alpha waves was 41.1 msec in the resting state, and during qigong it became significantly shorter, 24.9 msec (p<0.01). The frontal alpha and the synchronized EEGs were obsered also on the subjects receiving 'qi'; the O1- Fp1
time lag was 58.4 msec (at rest) and 29.8 msec (during qigng). The frequency of alpha waves of both qigongists and subjects tended to increase during qigong. The betw-wave patterns of the qi-receiving subject resembled to his therpaist topographyically.