α-Oscillations in the monkey sensorimotor network influence discrimination performance by rhythmical inhibition of neuronal spiking
Open accessAbstract
Extensive work in humans using magneto- and electroencephalography strongly suggests that decreased oscillatory α-activity (8–14 Hz) facilitates processing in a given region, whereas increased α-activity serves to actively suppress irrelevant or interfering processing. However, little work has been done to understand how α-activity is linked to neuronal firing. Here, we simultaneously recorded local field potentials and spikes from somatosensory, premotor, and motor regions while a trained monkey performed a vibrotactile discrimination task. In the local field potentials we observed strong activity in the α-band, which decreased in the sensorimotor regions during the discrimination task. This α-power decrease predicted better discrimination performance. Furthermore, the α-oscillations demonstrated a rhythmic relation with the spiking, such that firing was highest at the trough of the α-cycle. Firing rates increased with a decrease in α-power. These findings suggest that α-oscillations exercise a strong inhibitory influence on both spike timing and firing rate. Thus, the pulsed inhibition by α-oscillations plays an important functional role in the extended sensorimotor system.
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Gamma power/spiking is anticorrelated with alpha/beta (8 to 30 Hz) power, which is higher under conditions of top-down control (e.g., attention and response inhibition).
“They are anticorrelated with alpha/beta (8 to 30 Hz) power (26–29), which is higher under conditions of top-down control (e.g., attention and response inhibition) (30–34).”
From Layer and rhythm specificity for predictive routing (2020) · cites this paper as [33]
In “α-Power Correlates with Spike-Firing Rate” (page unavailable), the paper reports that lower α-power was associated with higher firing rates in several monkey sensorimotor regions. That supports the spiking–α-power relationship, but the cited results do not establish an anticorrelation involving gamma power or the full α/β range. The top-down-control clause has a separate citation group and is not assessed against this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Haegens, S., Nácher, V., Luna, R., Romo, R., & Jensen, O.
- Affiliations
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
- Corresponding author
- Romo, Ranulfo
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2011-11-14
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 48
- Pages
- 19377-19382
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC3228466
- OpenAlex
- W1996864540
- Cited by
- 738
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 41 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 72 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 13.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Ministerie van Economische Zaken
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Keywords
- alpha oscillations, sensorimotor network, neuronal spiking, spike timing, firing rate, local field potentials, vibrotactile discrimination, somatosensory cortex, premotor cortex, motor cortex, monkeys, neural oscillations
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Alpha Rhythm, Animals, Discrimination, Psychological, Macaca mulatta, Neurons, Physical Stimulation, Psychomotor Performance, Spectrum Analysis, Vibration
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