Background: High levels of cognitive functioning are essential in the healthcare professions, as poor performance can lead to mishaps and in critical instances be the difference between life and death. Electroencephalography has the potential to be utilised as a physiological biomarker for cognitive performance. However, current research is confined to sample groups with diagnosed cognitive impairments and affords little extrapolation to healthy populations.

Aims: To investigate and examine the associations between electroencephalography (EEG) and cognitive performance in nurses; focusing on the viability of EEG as a potential biomarker for cognitive performance.

Methods: EEG leads were attached at positions Fp1 (frontal), Fp2, C3 (central) and C4. Measurements were obtained for 10 minutes, each for baseline and active phases (Stroop Test). The Mini-Mental State Exam and Cognistat were used to examine cognitive performance.

Results: Increased baseline beta activity in the frontal poles of the brain was associated with declines in global cognitive performance. Further, a number of other electroencephalographic changes were associated to performance in specific cognitive domains (e.g. memory, reasoning, attention/calculation, etc.) and were identified as potential biomarkers.

Conclusions: A number of specific changes in the various electroencephalography activities were associated to both global and domain specific cognitive performance. Based on previous observation these changes have the potential to be used as cognitive biomarkers, however further research in a larger study is required to confirm these initial findings.