Neocortical Dynamics and Human EEG Rhythms

The field of neocortical dynamics is a highly interdisciplinary one that draws on information from electrophysiology, anatomy, neurochemistry, clinical neurology, cognitive neuroscience, physics, mathematics, neural networks, engineering, and related fields. Spanning these fields, this integrated work examines dynamic interactions between neural structures at various spatial scales within the human neocortex. The relationships between this neocortical dynamic function, electroencephalographic (EEG) data, and cognitive processing by the brain are discussed in detail. The study of complex dynamical systems, which involve interactions of functional units at various spatial scales, is mostly the province of certain branches of physics and engineering. Specific aspects of these fields that appear to be especially applicable to neocortical dynamic function and EEG recordings are emphasized in this volume. These include important issues of different dynamic behavior at different spatial scales and interactions across scales. Underlying principles are considered in the context of a variety of EEG and MEG data, including spontaneous activity and transient and steady-state evoked potentials. Several connections between general theoretical ideas concerning predictions of coherent spatial structure in neocortical dynamics, such as standing waves, and actual data are also discussed. This unique volume provides a tentative theoretical framework for neocortical function that will serve as a guide to further experimental and theoretical work.