Dataset Information

The causal role of ?-oscillations in feature binding.

ABSTRACT: The binding problem-how to integrate features into objects-poses a fundamental challenge for the brain. Neural oscillations, especially ?-oscillations, have been proposed as a potential mechanism to solve this problem. However, since ?-oscillations usually reflect local neural activity, how to implement feature binding involving a large-scale brain network remains largely unknown. Here, combining electroencephalogram (EEG) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), we employed a bistable color-motion binding stimulus to probe the role of neural oscillations in feature binding. Subjects' perception of the stimulus switched between its physical binding and its illusory (active) binding. The active binding has been shown to involve a large-scale network consisting of spatially distant brain areas. ?-Oscillations presumably reflect the dynamics of such large-scale networks, especially due to volume conduction effects in EEG. We found that, relative to the physical binding, the ?-power decreased during the active binding. Additionally, individual ?-power was negatively correlated with the time proportion of the active binding. Subjects' perceptual switch rate between the 2 bindings was positively correlated with their individual ?-frequency. Furthermore, applying tACS at individual ?-frequency decreased the time proportion of the active binding. Moreover, delivering tACS at different temporal frequencies in the ?-band changed subjects' perceptual switch rate through affecting the active binding process. Our findings provide converging evidence for the causal role of ?-oscillations in feature binding, especially in active feature binding, thereby uncovering a function of ?-oscillations in human cognition.

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6708338 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The causal role of α-oscillations in feature binding.

Zhang Yanyu Y Zhang Yifei Y Cai Peng P Luo Huan H Fang Fang F

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20190805 34

The binding problem-how to integrate features into objects-poses a fundamental challenge for the brain. Neural oscillations, especially γ-oscillations, have been proposed as a potential mechanism to solve this problem. However, since γ-oscillations usually reflect local neural activity, how to implement feature binding involving a large-scale brain network remains largely unknown. Here, combining electroencephalogram (EEG) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), we employed a bi ...[more]

PMID: 31383766

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Project description:Childhood and adolescence are critical stages of the human lifespan, in which fundamental neural reorganizational processes take place. A substantial body of literature investigated accompanying neurophysiological changes, focusing on the most dominant feature of the human EEG signal: the alpha oscillation. Recent developments in EEG signal-processing show that conventional measures of alpha power are confounded by various factors and need to be decomposed into periodic and aperiodic components, which represent distinct underlying brain mechanisms. It is therefore unclear how each part of the signal changes during brain maturation. Using multivariate Bayesian generalized linear models, we examined aperiodic and periodic parameters of alpha activity in the largest openly available pediatric dataset (N=2529, age 5-22 years) and replicated these findings in a preregistered analysis of an independent validation sample (N=369, age 6-22 years). First, the welldocumented age-related decrease in total alpha power was replicated. However, when controlling for the aperiodic signal component, our findings provided strong evidence for an age-related increase in the aperiodic-adjusted alpha power. As reported in previous studies, also relative alpha power revealed a maturational increase, yet indicating an underestimation of the underlying relationship between periodic alpha power and brain maturation. The aperiodic intercept and slope decreased with increasing age and were highly correlated with total alpha power. Consequently, earlier interpretations on age-related changes of total alpha power need to be reconsidered, as elimination of active synapses rather links to decreases in the aperiodic intercept. Instead, analyses of diffusion tensor imaging data indicate that the maturational increase in aperiodic-adjusted alpha power is related to increased thalamocortical connectivity. Functionally, our results suggest that increased thalamic control of cortical alpha power is linked to improved attentional performance during brain maturation.

Dataset Information

The causal role of ?-oscillations in feature binding.

Publications

The causal role of α-oscillations in feature binding.

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