ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses primarily on the source and nature of the electrical activity of the nervous system and how it is measured. Included is a brief presentation of some neuroanatomy and neurophysiology necessary to understand the activity being measured. The material presented here forms the background for understanding some of the physiological bases of the EEG and the event-related brain potentials discussed in subsequent chapters. As outlined in chapter 1, for the sake of convenience, the nervous system may be divided into central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral systems (nerves outside central nervous systems). These two systems are discussed briefly in separate sections of this chapter.
