Entrainment of neuronal oscillations as a mechanism of attentional selection.
Whereas gamma-band neuronal oscillations clearly appear integral to visual attention, the role of lower-frequency oscillations is still being debated. Mounting evidence indicates that a key functional property of these oscillations is the rhythmic shifting of excitability in local neuronal ensembles. Here, we show that when attended stimuli are in a rhythmic stream, delta-band oscillations in the primary visual cortex entrain to the rhythm of the stream, resulting in increased response gain for task-relevant events and decreased reaction times. Because of hierarchical cross-frequency coupling, delta phase also determines momentary power in higher-frequency activity. These instrumental functions of low-frequency oscillations support a conceptual framework that integrates numerous earlier findings.
Lakatos
Peter
P
Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia Program, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
Karmos
George
G
Mehta
Ashesh D
AD
Ulbert
Istvan
I
Schroeder
Charles E
CE
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003700:Delta Rhythm; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010507:Periodicity; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception