ABSTRACT
Intensive studies were undertaken by N. E. Miller and his associates on the possibility of producing instrumental conditioning related to internal organs innervated by the autonomic nervous system. Several studies have shown that electrical activity of the brain (EEG) can be conditioned, i.e., it becomes an instrumental conditioned reaction. Attempts of conditioning of the electroencephalic function of the brain were made by various investigators. An attempt was also undertaken to condition, in cats, the alpha-rhythm appearing in parieto- occipital cortical leads. The finding of a temporary increase of the instrumental reaction, which is usually observed at the beginning of the extinction process, supports the view that the sensorimotor rhythm became conditioned as an instrumental type reaction. Research conducted on human subjects suffering from insomnia showed that presleep behavior can also be conditioned. In some experiments an increase of neuronal discharges or an appearance of the EEG waves of a definite frequency was a conditioned reaction.
