Role of the temporal domain for response selection and perceptual binding

Most cognitive functions are based on highly parallel and distributed information processing by the brain. A paradigmatic example is provided by the vertebrate visual system where numerous cortical areas have been described which analyse different types of visual information. At present, it is unclear how information can be integrated and how coherent representational states can be established in such distributed systems. We suggest that this so-called 'binding problem' may be solved in the temporal domain. The hypothesis is that synchronization of neuronal discharges can serve for the integration of distributed neurons into cell assemblies and that this process may underlie the selection of perceptually and behaviourally relevant information. We review experimental results, mainly obtained in the visual system, which support this temporal binding hypothesis.