Riding the slow wave: Exploring the role of entrained low-frequency oscillations in memory formation

Neural oscillations are proposed to support a variety of behaviors, including long-term memory, yet their functional significance remains an active area of research. Here, we explore a potential functional role of low-frequency cortical oscillations in episodic memory formation. Recent theories sugg...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hickey, P. (Author), Race, E. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
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001 10.1016-j.neuropsychologia.2021.107962
008 220427s2021 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 00283932 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Riding the slow wave: Exploring the role of entrained low-frequency oscillations in memory formation 
260 0 |b Elsevier Ltd  |c 2021 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107962 
520 3 |a Neural oscillations are proposed to support a variety of behaviors, including long-term memory, yet their functional significance remains an active area of research. Here, we explore a potential functional role of low-frequency cortical oscillations in episodic memory formation. Recent theories suggest that low-frequency oscillations orchestrate rhythmic attentional sampling of the environment by dynamically modulating neural excitability across time. When these oscillations entrain to low-frequency rhythms present in the environment, such as speech or music, the brain can build temporal predictions about the onset of relevant events so that these events can be more efficiently processed. Building upon this literature, we propose that entrained low-frequency oscillations may similarly influence the temporal dynamics of episodic memory by rhythmically modulating encoding across time (mnemonic sampling). Central to this proposal is the phenomenon of cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling, whereby the amplitudes of faster (higher frequency) rhythms, such as gamma oscillations, couple to the phase of slower (lower-frequency) rhythms entrained to environmental stimuli. By imposing temporal structure on higher-frequency oscillatory activity previously linked to memory formation, entrained low-frequency oscillations could dynamically orchestrate memory formation and optimize encoding at specific moments in time. We discuss prior experimental and theoretical work relevant to this proposal. © 2021 The Authors 
650 0 4 |a article 
650 0 4 |a attention 
650 0 4 |a Attention 
650 0 4 |a brain 
650 0 4 |a Brain 
650 0 4 |a cross coupling reaction 
650 0 4 |a Entrainment 
650 0 4 |a episodic memory 
650 0 4 |a Episodic memory 
650 0 4 |a excitability 
650 0 4 |a human 
650 0 4 |a human experiment 
650 0 4 |a Humans 
650 0 4 |a Memory, Episodic 
650 0 4 |a music 
650 0 4 |a music 
650 0 4 |a Music 
650 0 4 |a Neural oscillations 
650 0 4 |a oscillation 
650 0 4 |a Phase-amplitude coupling 
650 0 4 |a prediction 
650 0 4 |a Rhythm 
650 0 4 |a speech 
650 0 4 |a Speech 
650 0 4 |a theoretical study 
700 1 |a Hickey, P.  |e author 
700 1 |a Race, E.  |e author 
773 |t Neuropsychologia