Imagine diving into the ocean and observing the mesmerizing dance of synchronized currents. In a similar way, neurons in the brain are submerged in oscillating waves of electrical activity called local field potentials (LFPs). These brain waves hold vital information about neurophysiological processes and are essential for understanding how our brains work. To make sense of these complex patterns, scientists have traditionally relied on Fourier methods to analyze brain rhythms. However, a groundbreaking study introduces an alternative framework that uncovers new structures within the oscillatory brain waves – frequency-modulated oscillatory processes known as brain wave oscillons. These oscillons exhibit transient spectral dynamics, revealing intricate and ever-changing patterns within the brain’s electrical symphony. By delving into these spectral dynamics, we can gain deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms of cognitive processes and potentially uncover new ways to understand and treat neurological disorders.

Neurons in the brain are submerged into oscillating extracellular potential produced by synchronized synaptic currents. The dynamics of these oscillations is one of the principal characteristics of neurophysiological activity, broadly studied in basic neuroscience and used in applications. However, our interpretation of the brain waves’ structure and hence our understanding of their functions depend on the mathematical and computational approaches used for data analysis. The oscillatory nature of the wave dynamics favors Fourier methods, which have dominated the field for several decades and currently constitute the only systematic approach to brain rhythms. In the following study, we outline an alternative framework for analyzing waves of local field potentials (LFPs) and discuss a set of new structures that it uncovers: a discrete set of frequency-modulated oscillatory processes—the brain wave oscillons and their transient spectral dynamics.

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