©
Shutterstock
The human brain flexibly fulfils numerous cognitive roles that are essential for survival, such as memory, attention and sensory processing. However, little is known about the organisational framework that ensures that these functions get carried out within specific timeframes.
The team analysed five large magnetoencephalography (MEG) datasets, with brain activity recordings from more than 800 people, to study the activity of large cortical brain networks. They found that although networks do not activate in a strict order, they do tend to activate in a characteristic pattern that repeats cyclically every 300–1,000 milliseconds.
The strength and speed of the cycles identified were found to be influenced by genetics, and closely associated with several factors. For example, faster reaction times are associated with stronger cycles, with fewer deviations from the characteristic pattern, demonstrating their relevance for cognitive performance; and older individuals exhibit slower cycles, aligning with observations of age-related cognitive slowing.
The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience and conducted at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, Aarhus University in Denmark, and industry partner Resonait Medical Technologies. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Read the full story on the Department of Psychiatry website.