Describe how the EEG technique has been used to study sleep.

... Describe how the EEG technique has been used to study sleep. The abbreviation EEG stands for electroencephalogram which is a "recording of spontaneous brain potentials" (Rozenweig, Breedlove and Watson) or electrical brain activity. It does this by detecting the changes in electric charge in certain areas of the brain caused by field potentials. These are a result of synchronised post-synaptic potentials (PSPs) in a large group of neurons in that particular area. The EEG is conducted by placing carefully positioned electrodes on the scalp of the subject depending on what part of the brain is being monitored (normally including active and inactive areas, the latter working as 'control' results). The electrodes are then connected to an amplifier capable of processing impulses of less than100 microvolts which will then amplify them one million times in order for the results to be visible and easier to work with. The oscillating PSPs are then

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