Human Motor Cortical Activity Is Selectively Phase-Entrained on Underlying Rhythms

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002655
• Publication Date: 2012-09-06T21:28:37Z
• Authors: Kai J. Miller; Dora Hermes; Christopher J. Honey; Adam O. Hebb; Nick F. Ramsey; Robert T. Knight; Jeffrey G. Ojemann; Eberhard E. Fetz
• Keywords: Entrainment (biomusicology); Sensorimotor rhythm; Beta Rhythm; Premovement neuronal activity; Human brain

The functional significance of electrical rhythms in the mammalian brain remains uncertain. In motor cortex, 12–20 Hz beta rhythm is known to transiently decrease amplitude during movement, and be altered many diseases. Here we show that activity neuronal populations phase-coupled with on rapid timescales, describe how strength this relation changes movement. To investigate relationship dynamics, measured local cortical using arrays subdural electrocorticographic (ECoG) electrodes human patients performing simple movement tasks. addition rhythmic processes, ECoG potentials also reveal a spectrally broadband motif reflects aggregate neural population beneath each electrode. During follows dynamics individual fingers, somatotopically specific responses for different fingers at sites pre-central gyrus. rhythm, contrast, widespread as well spatially coherent within sulcal boundaries decreases across pre- post-central gyri diffuse manner not finger-specific. We find entrained phase other frequencies, peri-central cortex fixation. finger phase-entrainment diminished or eliminated. suggest may more than resting entrainment reflect suppressive mechanism actively gating function.