[Frontiers in Bioscience 14, 321-332, January 1, 2009]

The roles of gamma-band oscillatory synchrony in human visual cognition

Catherine Tallon-Baudry

CNRS LENA UPR640 Cognitive Neuroscience and Brain Imaging, 47 bd de l'Hôpital 75013 Paris, France

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. What is meant by "oscillatory synchrony"?
4. Oscillatory synchrony and visual binding
5. Oscillatory synchrony and attention
6. Oscillatory synchrony, learning and memory
7. Oscillatory synchrony and awareness
8. Gamma oscillatory synchrony: taking advantage of neurons' fine temporal tuning
9. Functional sub-bands within the gamma range
10. Functional correlates in distinct frequency bands
11. Distinct frequency bands for a flexible multiplexing schema integrating the different time-scales of behavior?
12. Oscillatory versus transient synchrony
13. Conclusion & Perspectives
14. Acknowledgements
15. References

1. ABSTRACT

Oscillatory synchrony in the gamma (30-120 Hz) range has initially been related both theoretically and experimentally to visual grouping. Its functional role in human visual cognition turns out to be much broader, especially when attention, memory or awareness are concerned. Induced gamma oscillations are thus not related to a single cognitive function, and are probably better understood in terms of a population mechanism taking advantage of the neuron's fine temporal tuning: the 10-30 ms time precision imposed by gamma-band rhythms could favor the selective transmission of synchronized information (attention) and foster synaptic plasticity (memory). Besides, gamma oscillatory synchrony also seems related to the emergence of visual awareness. The recent discovery that gamma oscillations could appear simultaneously in distinct areas at distinct frequencies and with different functional correlates further suggests the existence of a flexible multiplexing schema, integrating frequency bands within the gamma range but also at lower frequency bands. Understanding how and when oscillations at different frequencies interact has become a major challenge for the years to come.