Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The neural basis of temporal processing.

Michael D Mauk1, Dean V Buonomano

  • 1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas, Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. m.mauk@uth.tmc.edu

Annual Review of Neuroscience
|June 26, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Neural systems process time for sensory and motor tasks using distributed networks, not a central clock. Temporal processing relies on network dynamics, not specialized timing mechanisms.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

STIMscope: centimeter-scale all-optical imaging and patterned optogenetic manipulation at single-cell resolution.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Hippocampal sequences represent working memory and implicit timing.

Cell reports·2025
Same author

Stable recurrent dynamics in heterogeneous neuromorphic computing systems using excitatory and inhibitory plasticity.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Ex vivo cortical circuits learn to predict and spontaneously replay temporal patterns.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Adapting and facilitating responses in mouse somatosensory cortex are dynamic and shaped by experience.

Current biology : CB·2024
Same author

Neural Sequences and the Encoding of Time.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Understanding sensory and motor processing necessitates characterizing neural time perception.
  • Temporal processing in the tens to hundreds of milliseconds range is crucial for tasks like motion discrimination, speech recognition, and motor control.
  • Existing models often propose centralized timing mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on the neural basis of temporal processing.
  • To investigate whether temporal processing is distributed or centralized.
  • To explore the necessity of specialized neural mechanisms for timing.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of behavioral, electrophysiological, and theoretical studies.
  • Analysis of existing data on neural timing mechanisms.
  • Theoretical discussion on the relationship between temporal and spatial processing.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests temporal processing is distributed across multiple neural structures.
  • A centralized timing area is unlikely to be the sole mechanism.
  • Specialized timing mechanisms like delay lines or oscillators may not be required.

Conclusions:

  • Neural temporal processing is likely a distributed function.
  • Timing and spatial processing are intrinsic to neural function.
  • State-dependent changes in network dynamics may underlie temporal processing.

Related Experiment Videos