Cross-frequency coupling of alpha oscillatory power to the entrainment rhythm of a spatially attended input stream

Abstract

Neural entrainment and alpha oscillatory power (8-14 Hz) are mechanisms of selective attention. The extent to which these two mechanisms interact, especially in the context of visuospatial attention, is unclear. Here, we show that spatial attention to a delta-frequency, rhythmic visual stimulus in one hemifield results in phase-amplitude coupling between the delta-phase of an entrained frontal source and alpha power generated by ipsilateral visuocortical regions. The driving of ipsilateral alpha power by frontal delta also correlates with task performance. Our analyses suggest that neural entrainment may serve a previously underappreciated role in coordinating macroscale brain networks and that inhibition of processing by alpha power can be coupled to an attended temporal structure. Finally, we note that the observed coupling bolsters one dominant hypothesis of modern cognitive neuroscience, that macroscale brain networks and distributed neural computation are coordinated by oscillatory synchrony and cross-frequency interactions.

Cortical entrainment to hierarchical contextual rhythms recomposes dynamic attending in visual perception

“…Moreover, the strength of this delta-alpha coupling effect predicts the effect of higher-order temporal structures on dynamic attentional allocation at the individual level. These findings corroborate the idea that neural entrainment to a slower external rhythm may serve as a mechanism of attentional selection, with the phase of delta oscillation regulating the excitability of neural activity in the alpha band (Gomez-Ramirez et al, 2011;Wilson & Foxe, 2020;Wöstmann et al, 2016).…”

“…This leads to a natural question of whether the observed attentional modulation effect is implemented through a coordinative process between neural oscillations at delta and alpha bands. To address this question, we analyzed crossfrequency coupling between delta phase and alpha power, which has been found to support the attentional selection between competing stimuli (Gomez-Ramirez et al, 2011;Wilson & Foxe, 2020;Wöstmann et al, 2016). We conducted the analysis in two clusters whose neural responses in both the delta band (the ITPC at 2.5 Hz) and the alpha band (T2-related alpha power) had an established link with the attentional modulation effect: one in the parieto-occipital region (P5, PO3, PO5, O1) and the other in the frontal region (AF4, F2, F4).…”

Orienting auditory attention in time: Lateralized alpha power reflects spatio-temporal filtering

“…Lateralized alpha power is modulated most prominently in-between the presentation of a spatial cue and subsequent stimulus onset and decreases thereafter ( Kerlin et al., 2010 ; Popov et al., 2017 ). Nevertheless, rhythmic modulation of lateralized alpha oscillations in synchrony with the bottom-up stimulus has been observed ( Kizuk & Mathewson, 2017 ; Tune et al., 2018 ; Wilson & Foxe, 2020 ; Wöstmann et al., 2016 ). These findings speak to the general sensitivity of alpha power modulation to both, bottom-up and top-down mechanisms of temporal attention.…”

Orienting auditory attention in time: Lateralized alpha power reflects spatio-temporal filtering

“…Lateralized alpha power is modulated most prominently in-between the presentation of a spatial cue and subsequent stimulus onset and decreases thereafter (Kerlin, Shahin, & Miller, 2010; Popov, Kastner, & Jensen, 2017). Nevertheless, rhythmic modulation of lateralized alpha oscillations in synchrony with the bottom-up stimulus has been observed (Kizuk & Mathewson, 2017; Tune, Wöstmann, & Obleser, 2018; Wilson & Foxe, 2020; Wöstmann, Herrmann, Maess, & Obleser, 2016). These findings speak to the general sensitivity of alpha power modulation to both, bottom-up and top-down mechanisms of temporal attention.…”