Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Eye Movements in Visual Duration Perception: Disentangling Stimulus from Time in Predecisional Processes
Published on: January 19, 2024
Long-range synchronization and local desynchronization of alpha oscillations during visual short-term memory
Sam M Doesburg1, Anthony T Herdman, Urs Ribary
1Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6R 3V4, Canada. sdoesburg@cw.bc.ca
Abstract:
Local alpha-band synchronization has been associated with both cortical idling and active inhibition. Recent evidence, however, suggests that long-range alpha synchronization increases functional coupling between cortical regions. We demonstrate increased long-range alpha and beta band phase synchronization during short-term memory retention in children 6-10 years of age. Furthermore, whereas alpha-band synchronization between posterior cortex and other regions is increased during retention, local alpha-band synchronization over posterior cortex is reduced. This constitutes a functional dissociation for alpha synchronization across local and long-range cortical scales. We interpret long-range synchronization as reflecting functional integration within a network of frontal and visual cortical regions. Local desynchronization of alpha rhythms over posterior cortex, conversely, likely arises because of increased engagement of visual cortex during retention.
