alpha wave

noun

: an electrical rhythm of the brain with a frequency of approximately 8 to 13 cycles per second that is often associated with a state of wakeful relaxation

called also alpha, alpha rhythm

Examples of alpha wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the insight case, the brain scans showed that in the second before the answer was reached, there was a burst of alpha waves in the right occipital cortex, which processes vision. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 July 2024 Someone who is relaxed with eyes closed but not asleep produces alpha waves at around 10 hertz. IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024 Previous research that connected alpha waves with depression led Soltani and Voytek to initially hypothesize that ECT influences alpha waves. Elizabeth Landau, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 For example, alpha waves, with frequencies of 8 to 12 hertz, tend to appear during deep relaxation or sleep. Elizabeth Landau, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 One of the endophenotypes in the Minnesota study, for example, was brain alpha wave frequency as measured with EEG. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2014 This video shows the dramatic, widespread drop in alpha wave amplitude (deep blue color on leftmost head) following counterclockwise rotations. Shinsuke Shimojo, Daw-An Wu, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2019 Two vaccinated parents decreased the risk by an average of 64.9%, although the risk only decreased by 58.1% during the delta wave compared to 71.7% during the alpha wave. Celina Tebor, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2022 And though his music was rooted in the physics of sound, variables like the size and shape of the performance space or the alpha wave patterns a performer generates made his pieces sound different from one performance to the next. New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alpha wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alpha wave was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near alpha wave

Cite this Entry

“Alpha wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alpha%20wave. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

alpha wave

noun
: an electrical rhythm of the brain with a frequency of 8 to 13 cycles per second that is often associated with a state of wakeful relaxation

called also alpha

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