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Updated: Jul 13, 2025

EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development

EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development

Published on: April 9, 2014

Bursting with Potential: How Sensorimotor Beta Bursts Develop from Infancy to Adulthood.

Holly Rayson^1,2,3, Maciej J Szul^4,2, Perla El-Khoueiry^4,2

¹Institut des Sciences, Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 5229, Bron, 69500, France holly.rayson@isc.cnrs.fr.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|October 13, 2023

Summary

Sensorimotor beta activity, previously thought to be continuous oscillations, actually occurs in bursts during movements. This beta burst activity and its waveform shapes change systematically with age, becoming more refined and lateralized in adults, offering potential for early diagnosis of motor disorders.

Keywords:

EEG action observation beta burst infant reaching and grasping sensorimotor cortex

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2025

EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development

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Published on: April 9, 2014

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

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P50 Sensory Gating in Infants

P50 Sensory Gating in Infants

Published on: December 26, 2013

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Neuroscience
Motor Control

Background:

Sensorimotor processes rely heavily on beta activity, but its developmental changes are poorly understood.
Traditional views consider beta activity as continuous oscillations, not discrete bursts.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental trajectory of sensorimotor beta activity from infancy to adulthood.
To characterize changes in beta burst rate and waveform motifs during action execution across development.

Main Methods:

EEG recordings from infants (9 and 12 months) and adults during observed and executed grasping movements.
Analysis of "beta burst" activity using time-frequency decomposition and principal component analysis.
Examination of changes in burst rate and waveform motifs across developmental groups.

Main Results:

A decrease in beta burst rate during movement execution was observed in all age groups, most pronounced in adults.
Three principal components identified distinct beta burst waveform motifs that changed systematically.
Bursts with median waveform shapes were not rate-modulated, while others were differentially modulated.
Adults showed earlier and more lateralized decreases in specific burst motif rates compared to infants.

Conclusions:

Sensorimotor beta activity during movement occurs as bursts with distinct waveform shapes that are modulated differently across development.
The refinement and lateralization of beta burst modulation with age suggest developmental maturation of sensorimotor networks.
Analyzing beta burst waveform shapes may offer a sensitive biomarker for early identification of developmental disorders and motor difficulties.