Neural Oscillations: Sustained Rhythms or Transient Burst-Events?

Freek van Ede; Andrew J Quinn; Mark W Woolrich; Anna C Nobre

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.04.004

Neural Oscillations: Sustained Rhythms or Transient Burst-Events?

Trends Neurosci. 2018 Jul;41(7):415-417. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.04.004. Epub 2018 May 5.

Authors

Freek van Ede¹, Andrew J Quinn², Mark W Woolrich², Anna C Nobre³

Affiliations

¹ Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: frederik.vanede@ohba.ox.ac.uk.
² Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
³ Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Abstract

Frequency-specific patterns of neural activity are increasingly interpreted as transient bursts of isolated events rather than as rhythmically sustained oscillations. This has potentially far-reaching implications for theories of how such oscillations originate and how they shape neural computations. As this debate unfolds, we explore alternative interpretations and ask how best to distinguish between them.

Keywords: beta oscillations; electroencephalography; frequency analysis; local field potential; magnetoencephalography; signal interpretation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Beta Rhythm / physiology*
Gamma Rhythm / physiology*
Humans
Models, Neurological
Neurons / physiology*
Periodicity

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding