Attempted brain wave modelling in participants under severe chronic stress using quantitative electroencephalogram.

The paper primarily focuses on differences in electroencephalogram (EEG) brain wave frequencies in the presence of symptoms of severe, chronic stress. In the case of a constant increase of stress triggers, it is important to quickly diagnose people who reveal difficulties coping with difficult situations in order to prevent the occurrence of mental disorders. One way to do this is to diagnose brainwave patterns. The study aimed to identify differences in the brainwave levels of participants reporting intense stress compared to the control group. Differences in brainwave frequency between the right and left hemisphere were also investigated in the study group. The study consisted of two stages. Initially, the study group was enrolled based on their level of stress intensity criterion determined by means of an interview (in which participants declared a sense of chronic stress) and high scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The control group consisted of subjects with a low score. In the next stage brainwave frequencies were analyzed using quantitative analysis of EEG (electroencephalography, QEEG) recordings. QEEG is a quantitative analysis of the EEG record, in which the data is digitally coded and statistically analyzed using the Fourier transform algorithm. The results demonstrated that people reporting intense, chronic stress statistically significantly more often had higher frequencies of theta, alpha, and beta 2 waves, and a lower level of SMR. Significant differences in the frequencies of the waves in both hemispheres were also noted.

Brain as the house of autistic soul: current trends in analyzing the risk factors and building up the diagnosis in mild forms of autism spectrum disorder.

The number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has significantly increased over the last few years. On the one hand, this surge may be associated with increased awareness of this entity and the greater availability of diagnostic tools. On the other hand, influence of factors believed to cause or facilitate ASD development (including environment pollution, stress of modern civilization, brain trauma and use of drugs) could have a negative impact on individuals in the phase of their social and psychological development. Due to the increasing problem, more and more attention is being focused on early detection of ASD, what allows to intervene at the earliest time point. In consequence, the quality of life of ASD-affected people may be significantly improved if diagnosed early. In this review, the list of possible risk factors for ASD is critically appraised and some "pearls for practice", helping in early diagnosis of even mild ASD are outlined.