EEG spectral analysis after minor head injury in man.

A quantitative EEG analysis was performed on the posterior lead of 18 patients with their eyes closed 3-10 days after minor head injury. There was a significant increase of the mean power of slow alpha (8-10 c/sec), a reduction of fast alpha (10.5-13.5 c/sec), with a shift of mean alpha frequency towards lower values, and a reduction of fast beta (20.5-36 c/sec) in the patients with head injuries compared with the age- and sex-matched patients in the control group. Therefore, power spectral EEG analysis performed with the above-mentioned criteria may be suggested as a sensitive tool to be added to others during the neurophysiological follow-up studies of people with head injuries.