Neural traveling waves in cortex: Network mechanisms and potential roles in neural computation

First discovered in anesthetized animals, neural traveling waves (nTWs) have now been observed throughout the brains of awake animals, where they influence neural excitability and behavior. nTWs can arise intrinsically in ongoing network activity or be triggered by sensory input and behavioral events. By structuring neural activity within individual cortical regions, nTWs introduce spatiotemporal dependencies across sensory maps that are not naturally captured by purely feedforward or feedback processing. Here, we synthesize physiological and computational evidence around two themes, focusing on the visual system while drawing connections to other cortical areas. First, we define nTWs and outline the circuit mechanisms that can generate them. Second, we highlight how nTWs can implement spatiotemporal computations, such as predicting upcoming sensory inputs, by embedding sensory history in the evolving activity pattern of an individual cortical region. We conclude by introducing a conceptual framework for spatiotemporal, generative processing by nTWs traveling over sensory maps.