Slow brain waves vital in complex activity

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have determined how widely separated regions of our brain coordinate complex activity.

"One of the most important questions in neuroscience is: How do areas of the brain communicate?" said Robert Knight, professor of psychology and neuroscience, as well as director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California-Berkeley.

By measuring electrical activity in the brains of pre-surgical epilepsy patients, University of California researchers found the first evidence that slow brain oscillations, or theta waves, "tune in" the fast brain oscillations called high-gamma waves that signal the transmission of information between different areas of the brain.

In this way, the researchers argue, areas such as the auditory cortex and frontal cortex -- separated by several inches -- can coordinate activity.

"If you are reading something, language areas oscillate in theta frequency allowing high-gamma-related neural activity in individual neurons to transmit information," said Knight. "When you stop reading and begin to type, theta rhythms oscillate in motor structures, allowing you to plan and execute your motor response by way of high gamma. Simple, but effective."

The findings are reported in the Sept. 15 issue of Science.