EEG aspects of mentally playing an instrument

This pilot study examines the possibility to detect activities of SMA by means of EEG coherence analysis in a female professional violoncellist. The proband was asked, for 5 min each, to listen to a piece of music (she knew by heart), to imagine playing this piece and to imagine playing scales. The experiment was repeated after 5 days. Consistent significant coherence changes with respect to the averaged EEG at rest were plotted as probability maps. For each of these three tasks different coherence patterns emerged. Among the electrodes next to SMA, Fz was most involved while playing scales, less while imagining playing the same piece and still less while just listening to it.