title: Brain Networks and α-Oscillations: Structural and Functional Foundations of Cognitive Control.
abstract: The most salient electrical signal measured from the human brain is the α-rhythm, neural activity oscillating at ∼100ms intervals. Recent findings challenge the longstanding dogma of α-band oscillations as the signature of a passively idling brain state but diverge in terms of interpretation. Despite firm correlations with behavior, the mechanistic role of the α-rhythm in brain function remains debated. We suggest that three large-scale brain networks involved in different facets of top-down cognitive control differentially modulate α-oscillations, ranging from power within and synchrony between brain regions. Thereby, these networks selectively influence local signal processing, widespread information exchange, and ultimately perception and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, USA. Electronic address: sepideh@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Sepideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadaghiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt
mesh_terms: D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*