Anticipatory control of long-range phase synchronization.
Everyday human behaviour relies on our ability to predict outcomes on the basis of moment by moment information. Long-range neural phase synchronization has been hypothesized as a mechanism by which 'predictions' can exert an effect on the processing of incoming sensory events. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) we have studied the relationship between the modulation of phase synchronization in a cerebral network of areas involved in visual target processing and the predictability of target occurrence. Our results reveal a striking increase in the modulation of phase synchronization associated with an increased probability of target occurrence. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that long-range phase synchronization plays a critical functional role in humans' ability to effectively employ predictive heuristics.
Gross
Joachim
J
Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany. jgross@uni-duesseldorf.de
Schmitz
Frank
F
Schnitzler
Irmtraud
I
Kessler
Klaus
K
Shapiro
Kimron
K
Hommel
Bernhard
B
Schnitzler
Alfons
A
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography / Q000379:methods; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods