Consciousness

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that detects the electrical activity in a brain using small metal discs that attach to the scalp. The brain cells communicate by    sending electrical impulses that are active at all times. These impulses are even active when one is sleeping. Berger noted two opposing rhythms of wakefulness. The    ‘alpha’ at 8-13 Hz and the ‘beta’ rhythm. The ‘alpha’ at 8-13 Hz which portrays the ‘passive EEG’ that is normally documented from the occipital electrodes of a waking    subject with their eyes closed. The ‘beta’ working with frequencies >13 Hz, ‘the active EEG’ that partner with mental effort.

Here, you describe the work of Berger and how the EEG was used to measure or understand wakefulness. However, since you do not first explain how the concept of wakefulness was first understood or defined, readers will not have a good understanding of the science behind it that you write about. To fix this concern, consider answering the following questions:

– Why did Berger want to study electrical activity in the brain?
– Who coined the term “wakefulness”?
– How did Berger associate the electrical impulses he measured to the concept of “wakefulness”?

While you discuss the principle of wakefulness later on in your discussion, answering these questions will help you ensure that readers understand the point you make about wakefulness in relation to Berger’s work. Go over the rest of your expository essay, and do the same for the other points you make