The Relationship between Aging and Photic Driving EEG Response

The present study examined the evaluation of aging using the photic driving response, a measure used in routine EEG examinations. We examined 60 normal participants without EEG abnormalities, classified into three age groups (20 similar to 29, 30 similar to 59 and over 60 years; 20 participants per group). EEG was measured at rest and during photic stimulation (PS). We calculated Z-scores as a measure of enhancement and suppression due to visual stimulation at rest and during PS and tested for between-group and intraindividual differences. We examined responses in the alpha frequency and harmonic frequency ranges separately, because alpha suppression can affect harmonic frequency responses that overlap the alpha frequency band. We found a negative correlation between Z-scores for harmonics and age by fitting the data to a linear function (CC: -0.740). In contrast, Z-scores and alpha frequency were positively correlated (CC: 0.590).