Brain states as wave-like motifs
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Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Microstate and Omega Complexity Analyses of the Resting-state Electroencephalography
Published on: June 15, 2018
Maya Foster1, Dustin Scheinost2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Abstract:
There is ample evidence of wave-like activity in the brain at multiple scales and levels. This emerging literature supports the broader adoption of a wave perspective of brain activity. Specifically, a brain state can be described as a set of recurring, sequential patterns of propagating brain activity, namely a wave. We examine a collective body of experimental work investigating wave-like properties. Based on these works, we consider brain states as waves using a scale-agnostic framework across time and space. Emphasis is placed on the sequentiality and periodicity associated with brain activity. We conclude by discussing the implications, prospects, and experimental opportunities of this framework.
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