EEGs and other physiological changes with progression of reading speed

Physiological changes with progression of reading speed were investigated with measurements of EEG, respiration, pulse and SpO2. Participants in this experiment were two healthy young males, who were both right-handed. Tasks with eyes closed were resting state, listening to classical music and doing mental calculation. Tasks using a textbook for rapid reading were pursuing circles in lines, pursuing characters in sentences and reading rapidly with understanding of the contents. Measurement sessions were held three times in three weeks during special training classes for the subjects. Amplitudes of alpha waves on the occipital area during the eyes closed period tended to become large in the course of training. Lag times of alpha phase between the frontal and the occipital areas became gradually shorter which meant concentration level became gradually higher. Amplitudes of beta waves were discussed by subtracting results of two states, (rapid reading)-(pursuing circles). The subtraction values on the left temporal area (T5), around Wernicke's linguistic area, gradually decreased while those on the right occipital area (O2) clearly increased. It was considered that reading with linguistic recognition was changing to the recognition with visual images.