Broadband synergy versus oscillatory redundancy in the visual cortex

The cortex generates diverse neural dynamics, ranging from broadband fluctuations to narrowband oscillations at specific frequencies. Here, we investigated whether broadband and oscillatory dynamics play different roles in the encoding and transmission of visual information. We used information-theoretical measures to dissociate neural signals sharing common information (i.e., redundancy) from signals encoding complementary information (i.e., synergy). We analyzed electrocorticography (ECoG) and local field potentials (LFP) in the visual cortex of human and non-human primates (macaque) to investigate the extent to which broadband signals (BB) and narrowband gamma (NBG) oscillations conveyed synergistic or redundant information about images. In both species, the information conveyed by BB signals was highly synergistic within and between visual areas. By contrast, the information carried by NBG was primarily redundant within and between the same visual areas. Finally, the information conveyed by BB signals emerged early after stimulus onset, while NBG sustained information at later time points. These results suggest a potential dual role of BB and NBG cortical dynamics in visual processing, with broadband dynamics supporting nonlinear pattern recognition and oscillations facilitating information maintenance across the cortex.