On the role of neural oscillations for information processing in the working brain, Ole Jensen

Networks in the brain must rely on powerful mechanism for routing, maintaining and prioritizing information processing. From a larger set of attention and memory studies we now have evidence for the notion that alpha oscillations (9 – 12 Hz) are inhibitory and serve to route information: ‘gating by inhibition’. The alpha band activity is under top-down control by areas in the dorsal attention network. As such the alpha oscillations – previously believed to reflect a state of rest – serve an important role for shaping the functional architecture of the working brain. Gamma band activity (50 – 100 Hz) reflects feed-forward processing is coupled to the phase of the alpha oscillations. Importantly, new findings suggest that representations activate in a phase specific manner along the alpha cycle. Our empirical framework has been developed using MEG, DTI/MEG, TMS/MEG, fMRI/EEG and non-human primate data. More information: http://neuronusforum.pl