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. 2010 Apr;201(4):719-27.
doi: 10.1007/s00221-009-2086-9. Epub 2009 Nov 27.

Long-range synchronization and local desynchronization of alpha oscillations during visual short-term memory retention in children

Sam M Doesburg  1 , Anthony T Herdman, Urs Ribary, Teresa Cheung, Alexander Moiseev, Hal Weinberg, Mario Liotti, Daniel Weeks, Ruth E Grunau
Affiliations

Long-range synchronization and local desynchronization of alpha oscillations during visual short-term memory retention in children

Sam M Doesburg et al. Exp Brain Res. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

Local alpha-band synchronization has been associated with both cortical idling and active inhibition. Recent evidence, however, suggests that long-range alpha synchronization increases functional coupling between cortical regions. We demonstrate increased long-range alpha and beta band phase synchronization during short-term memory retention in children 6-10 years of age. Furthermore, whereas alpha-band synchronization between posterior cortex and other regions is increased during retention, local alpha-band synchronization over posterior cortex is reduced. This constitutes a functional dissociation for alpha synchronization across local and long-range cortical scales. We interpret long-range synchronization as reflecting functional integration within a network of frontal and visual cortical regions. Local desynchronization of alpha rhythms over posterior cortex, conversely, likely arises because of increased engagement of visual cortex during retention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The experimental paradigm and its time course on a single trial
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Location of each sensor in the 19 channel montage
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a Global long-distance phase synchronization obtained by averaging PLV across all 171 analyzed sensor pairs. b Frontoposterior phase locking obtained by averaging PLV across all connections between frontal (LF11, RF11, LF32, RF32, LT21, RT21, ZFO3) and posterior (LO22, RO22, LO41, RO41, LO43, RO43, ZP02) sensors (49 pairs). Jagged lines in time–frequency plots represent temporal discontinuity (presentation of S1 between baseline and retention interval). c Topography of local and long-range alpha (9 Hz) and beta (18 Hz) band synchronization during short-term memory retention. Black lines indicate statistically significant phase synchronization between sensors (P < 0.05); white lines denote significant desynchronization (P < 0.05). Colors represent changes in amplitude (local synchronization) in units of standard deviation from the baseline; legends at right (color figure online)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Functional dissociation for alpha-band synchronization across local and long-range cortical scales during STM retention. a Average alpha-band phase locking between sensors over posterior cortex and all other analyzed sensors during STM retention (left) and the time course of this long-range synchronization throughout STM retention and the baseline period averaged across posterior sensors (right). b Average alpha-band amplitude at posterior sensors during STM retention (left) and the time course of this local desynchronization throughout STM retention and the baseline period averaged across posterior sensors (right). Amplitude changes and phase synchronization are expressed in units of standard deviation from the baseline. Gray horizontal lines indicates temporal discontinuity (the period of S1 presentation between the baseline and retention intervals)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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