title: Interareal oscillatory synchronization in top-down neocortical processing.
abstract: Top-down processing in the neocortex underlies important cognitive functions such as predictive coding and attentional set. We review evidence indicating that top-down neocortical processes are carried by interareal synchrony, particularly in the beta frequency band. We hypothesize that top-down neocortical signals in the beta band convey behavioral context to low-level sensory neurons. We further speculate that large-scale distributed networks, self-organized at the highest hierarchical levels, are the source of top-down signals in the neocortex.
authors.affiliation: Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, United States. Electronic address: bressler@fau.edu.
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bressler
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, L'Ecole Normale Superieure, France.
authors.forename: Craig G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001611:Beta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D019579:Neocortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*