Functional significance of human prefrontal theta oscillations during cognitive control and learning
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1
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The theta rhythm is a 4–8 Hz oscillation observed in electrophysiological recordings at multiple levels of neural organization. The crucial role of theta oscillations as a mechanism for neural plasticity, information coding, and computation, as indicated in animal studies, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as a means to investigate higher cognitive control operations in humans. This symposium presents studies utilizing event-related potentials and time/frequency measures as a strategy with which to explore and evaluate the functional impact of prefrontal theta oscillations on several cognitive control operations. First, Cohen will present EEG evidence that supports the idea that the medial frontal cortex uses theta oscillations to coordinate local and long-range neural networks during cognitive control processes. Sauseng will provide evidence of how the interaction between theta and gamma phase can be considered as neural correlates of working memory. Cavanagh provides an computational examination of how theta band oscillatory responses reflect a generic processing mechanism in the medial prefrontal cortex. Marco-Pallarés uses a gambling task to provide evidence for the existence of two independent oscillatory mechanisms in decision-making (theta and beta oscillations) that differentially respond to valence, probability and magnitude of monetary gains and looses. Baker reveals how theta mediates the functions of a frontal system for reinforcement learning and a medial temporal system for spatial learning as participants learn to navigate virtual environments. Following the presentation, our discussion will focus on theoretical and methodological issues in integrating these findings with the potential to understand their impact on behavior and psychopathology.
Keywords:
Beta oscillation,
cognitive control,
theta oscillation
Conference:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011.
Presentation Type:
Introduction
Topic:
Symposium 13: Functional significance of human prefrontal theta oscillations during cognitive control and learning
Citation:
Baker
TE
(2011). Functional significance of human prefrontal theta oscillations during cognitive control and learning.
Conference Abstract:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00540
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Received:
14 Nov 2011;
Published Online:
28 Nov 2011.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Travis E Baker, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Victoriac, Canada, teb@uvic.ca