Neurons in the brain’s cortex are organized into six layers that can be seen under a microscope. MIT neuroscientists discovered that these layers have particular electrical activity patterns that are constant across different brain regions and animal species, including humans.
The top layers of neurons are dominated by fast gamma waves, whereas the deeper levels have slower alpha and beta waves. Earl Miller, a neuroscience professor at MIT, believes that this ubiquitous pattern plays a basic role in brain function.
The researchers hypothesize that irregularities in how these oscillations interact may be involved in brain illnesses such as ADHD. Robert Desimone, head of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, compares it to an orchestra, where one out-of-tune instrument may derail the entire performance.
Diego Mendoza-Halliday and Alex Major of MIT led the study, which looked at the layered oscillation pattern in different brain areas and species. Special electrodes and a new algorithm known as FLIP were utilized to concurrently capture and classify signals from all layers.
The continuous layered activity pattern across species and regions lends support to the theory that the cortex’s spatial layout enables it to integrate new information with existing memories. This can help with a variety of tasks, like following a recipe and remembering a phone number.
The researchers believe that imbalances in high- and low-frequency oscillations can contribute to attention deficiencies (e.g., ADHD) or delusional disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). Maintaining a balance between top-down control and bottom-up sensory signals is critical for proper brain functioning.
The team wants to see if detecting these oscillations can help diagnose diseases and if rebalancing them could be a treatment. They also want to collaborate with other labs to better understand layered oscillation patterns across different brain areas.
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