RHYTHMS OF THE BRAIN

The brain constantly generates rhythmic fluctuations of electrical activity. By monitoring these brain rhythms, one can tell whether a person is awake or asleep and whether they are dreaming. Brain rhythms can even be used to predict how a person perceives the world, what they are paying attention to, and what decisions they will make. Despite these remarkable findings, brain rhythms have not yet broken into mainstream neuroscience textbooks. This seminar is a great opportunity to learn more about this up-and-coming research field, and more specifically, to understand the role of brain rhythms in supporting cognitive function. In the first part of the seminar, we will learn how to measure and analyze the fundamental properties of brain rhythms with the method of electroencephalography (EEG). In the second part of the seminar, we will review a number of experiments showing changes in brain rhythms that accompany changes in perception (visual illusions), attention, decision-making, language and consciousness. We will also examine studies reporting abnormal brain rhythms in aging and neuropsychiatric conditions (schizophrenia and autism). Throughout the seminar, we will discuss these experimental findings in light of theories implicating brain rhythms in computational operations underlying cognition. Finally, with this background in mind, we will consider the future directions for this research field, including rhythm-based neuroenhancement devices and therapeutic approaches.