Rhythms in cognition: The evidence revisited

Abstract

Brain activity abounds with rhythmic patterns (Capilla et al., 2021; Groppe et al., 2013; Keitel & Gross, 2016) that reflect ongoing fluctuations of neuronal excitability (Adrian & Matthews, 1934; Bishop, 1932). These rhythms can be described as oscillations that cycle through phases at specific frequencies and with a certain strength or amplitude (Figure 1). Attempts to account for the functional relevance of rhythms have gone from associating cognitive function X with rhythmic activity Y to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of brain rhythms in human everyday experience and behaviour (Buzsáki & Draguhn, 2004; Fries, 2015; Lakatos et al., 2019; Wang, 2010). These accounts support a simple, yet fundamental idea: Cognitive functions themselves may be intrinsically rhythmic.