A study, supported by the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC), has found that the brain’s networks activate in structured cycles.
The study “Large-scale cortical functional networks are organized in structured cycles” was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience and conducted at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, Aarhus University in Denmark, and industry partner Resonait Medical Technologies.
The human brain performs a wide range of cognitive functions vital for survival, including memory, attention and sensory processing. However, the underlying organisational structure that ensures these functions occur within precise timeframes remains largely unexplored.
Researchers analysed five magnetoencephalography (MEG) datasets, with brain activity recordings from over 800 people, to study large-scale brain network activity. They found that although the networks do not activate in a strict order, they tended to activate in a cyclic pattern, repeating every 300 to 1,000 milliseconds.
The strength and speed of the cycles identified were found to be influenced by genetics and closely associated with several factors. Individuals with faster reaction times tended to exhibit stronger cycles with fewer deviations from the typical pattern, highlighting their relevance for cognitive performance. In contrast, older individuals showed slower cycles, consistent with observations of age-related cognitive slowing.
Senior author Professor Mark Woolrich, OH BRC Brain Technologies Theme Co-Lead and Director of the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity at the Department of Psychiatry, where the research took place, said:
“Cycles are ubiquitous in biological systems. The cycles we have found in awake brain activity likely serve the need for crucial cognitive functions to be periodically activated, akin to the structured stages of a sleep cycle, albeit on a much faster timescale.
“As in sleep, disruption of the cycles could be an important marker of brain disorders, and cycle-related measures could inform future clinical applications.”
This finding could have implications for research into brain-related illnesses and the treatments available for them. For example, the research team’s industry partner Resonait is seeking to improve an existing neurostimulation treatment for depression by coordinating the stimulation timing with these cyclical patterns.
Lead author Dr Mats Van Es, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford, said:
“This is a pivotal finding in our understanding of brain function, showing that the brain’s functional networks are organised into periodic cycles.
“The study shows that these cyclical dynamics occur not only at rest but also when replaying memories and during other cognitive tasks, where they predict response speed.
“This suggests that the brain’s cyclical organisation is a fundamental way of coordinating cognitive functions on a moment-to-moment basis.”
Contact us for more information on OH BRC: ohbrcenquiries@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
