Brain oscillations are rhythmic electrical fluctuations that affect a number of cognitive functions, including memory. But can they be used to change our behaviour? Dr Simon Hanslmayr and colleagues tested this question in a paper.
Brain oscillations are rhythmic electrical fluctuations that affect a number of cognitive functions, including memory. But can they be used to change our behaviour?
Dr Simon Hanslmayr and colleagues tested this question in a recent paper using rhythmic Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a technique that produces rhythmic electrical activity in the human brain.
They showed that stimulation in one specific frequency, known as the beta frequency (~18 Hz), reduces memory performance.
They also found that the brain continues oscillating for about 1.5 seconds after the rTMS stopped, which shows the existence of so-called “oscillatory echoes”.
The results could have a strong impact on the study of brain oscillations and create new ways to examine their role in everyday cognitive functions.
