The functional role of cross-frequency coupling

Trends Cogn Sci. 2010 Nov;14(11):506-15. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.001.

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that cross-frequency coupling (CFC) might play a functional role in neuronal computation, communication and learning. In particular, the strength of phase-amplitude CFC differs across brain areas in a task-relevant manner, changes quickly in response to sensory, motor and cognitive events, and correlates with performance in learning tasks. Importantly, whereas high-frequency brain activity reflects local domains of cortical processing, low-frequency brain rhythms are dynamically entrained across distributed brain regions by both external sensory input and internal cognitive events. CFC might thus serve as a mechanism to transfer information from large-scale brain networks operating at behavioral timescales to the fast, local cortical processing required for effective computation and synaptic modification, thus integrating functional systems across multiple spatiotemporal scales.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Mapping*
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
  • Cortical Synchronization*
  • Humans
  • Mental Processes / physiology*
  • Models, Neurological
  • Nerve Net / physiology*