Abstract

Invasive and noninvasive studies in humans under physiological and pathological conditions converged on the suggestion that neural oscillations implement cognitive processes such as sensory representations, attentional selection, and dynamical routing/gating of information. Individual brain areas show specific spectral signatures that are shaped by the underlying structural connectivity. I will present brain maps that demonstrate the existence and patterns of spatially specific (time-varying) spectral signatures and their organisation.
In the second part of my talk I will show, first, how brain oscillations shape the processing of upcoming stimuli and, second, how specific aspects of the stimulus (and our interpretation of the stimulus) are coded in stimulus-modulated brain oscillations. Particular consideration will be given to the phase of brain oscillations as opposed to amplitude.
In summary, I aim to present recent evidence that highlights the functional role of brain oscillations in coding and communication.