paragraphs are like individual neurons, processing specific pieces of information, while larger brain rhythms, like beta frequencies, control when and where these neurons process that information. By studying these bursts of brain activity, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how cognition works and how it may go awry in clinical disorders. This insight could ultimately lead to new ways to treat and manage these disorders.
Cells send signals in circuits through electrochemical means, but to achieve cognition, millions of cells work together driven by rhythmic signals at different frequencies. A team of neuroscientists suggests that studying beta rhythms, which range from 14-30 Hz, is crucial for understanding how the brain controls cognitive processes, as well as how it may lose control in certain disorders. The scientists argue that bursts of beta rhythms regulate cognition in the brain by controlling the timing and location of higher gamma frequencies, based on experimental data, mathematical models, and theory.Frequency waves can help neurons process new sensory information or create action plans. Researchers believe that beta bursts can rapidly create adaptable and regulated neural activity patterns for intentional thinking. Author Earl K. Miller, from MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, emphasizes the importance of understanding the organization of goal-directed thought in order to understand cognition. Beta frequency is crucial in controlling neurons at a spatial scale that facilitates organization.
Miller and his colleagues, including Mikael Lundqvist, Jonatan Nordmark, and Johan Liljefors at the Karolinska Institutet, as well as Pawel Herman at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, suggest that studying bursts of beta rhythms can provide valuable insights into their origins and significance. They believe that this research not only has the potential to enhance our understanding of cognition, but also to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders.
The team believes that beta oscillations play a crucial role in cognition and anticipates that this research could lead to significant advancements in the identification of biomarkers, particularly in relation to beta bursting and its impact on inhibitory control processes. They also highlight the relevance of these findings for conditions such as ADHD and schizophrenia.The journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences reports that beta waves play a significant role in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Experimental studies involving various species, brain regions, and cognitive tasks have uncovered important traits of beta waves in the cortex. These include quick and forceful bursts, the suppression of higher frequency gamma rhythms, and a deep brain origin with specific travel locations in the cortex. The authors suggest that these characteristics align with precise mechanisms.The gamma rhythm activity, which carries signals of sensory information and motor plans, can be regulated in a flexible manner in terms of both space and time. According to the authors, beta bursts present new opportunities for studying how sensory inputs are processed, reshaped by inhibitory cognitive operations, and ultimately result in motor actions. For instance, Miller and colleagues demonstrated in animals that beta bursts in the prefrontal cortex during working memory tasks direct the storage of new sensory information by gamma activity, as well as the retrieval of this information when needed.When information becomes outdated, it is important to discard it. For example, studies have indicated that beta levels increase when individuals are instructed to suppress a previously learned word association, or to forget a cue because it is no longer relevant to a task. In a recent study by Lundqvist, Herman, Miller, and colleagues, various experiments were cited to propose the idea that beta bursts are responsible for spatial cognitive control in the brain. This suggests that certain areas of the cortex are constrained to represent the general rules of a task, while individual neurons within those areas represent specific information.When it comes to a working memory task like remembering a padlock combination, beta rhythms in the brain help to organize the general steps, such as “turn left” and “turn right,” while gamma rhythms assist in storing and recalling the specific numbers of the combination within each step. This organization allows the brain to quickly apply task rules to many neurons at once and adapt to changes in the individual numbers without having to re-establish the overall structure of the task. This makes it easier to set a new combination without disrupting the brain’s ability to remember it. Another important aspect of beta bursts is the aut.
Beta rhythm bursts have the ability to spread across long distances in the brain, covering multiple regions. Examining the direction and timing of their spatial travels could provide more insight into how cognitive control is carried out.
Generating new ideas leads to new inquiries
Not only do beta rhythm bursts vary in frequency, but they also differ in duration, amplitude, origin, and other characteristics. The authors note that this diversity highlights their adaptability, but it also requires neuroscientists to investigate and comprehend the various forms of the phenomenon and their significance in order to gain more knowledge from it.
“The concept of beta bursts is quite complex, but the crucial point is that it provides insights into the temporary nature of neural oscillations and cognitive processes,” remarked Lundqvist. “This alters our understanding of cognition and will have implications across the board. For a long time, we have operated under the assumption that oscillations are continuous, which has influenced experiments and analyses. Now, we are seeing a new wave of studies that are built on this fresh perspective, leading to new hypotheses and analytical approaches. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years.”
The future research will need to address several challenges to fully understand the role of beta bursts in cognitive control.
One of the major issues that the authors acknowledge is the need to further investigate how beta bursts actually emerge and perform their apparent role in cognitive control.
The authors point out that it is currently unknown how beta bursts arise as a mediator of an executive command that then spreads to other regions of the brain.
The authors emphasize that they do not have all the answers, but they believe that the unanswered questions about beta bursts are important to explore, given their significant role in controlling cognition.
The authors propose that beta bursts present valuable opportunities for both experimental and computational studies to gain greater insights.The researchers concluded that having a window to explore the real-time organization and execution of cognitive functions is important. They also noted the need to address outstanding questions with new experimental paradigms, analytical methods, and modeling approaches in order to fully leverage this potential.
