Neurons in our brains activate by producing electrical pulses and also coordinating their activity in rhythmic waves known as brain oscillations. These two types of signals - neural spikes and brain rhythms - are the fundamental patterns of activity in the brain, and several questions remain open regarding how exactly they work together, concerting their activity. This research explores how rhythmic brain activity in the so-called gamma band influences the way neurons respond to visual information. In particular, it asks whether the timing of these rhythms can amplify or dampen neuronal spikes. The work also investigates how the brain reacts when the same image appears repeatedly, something commonly experienced in everyday vision. Does repetition make neural processing more efficient? To answer these questions, electrical activity in the brain’s visual cortex was recorded while visual information was processed, and analysed. The results provide new insights into how neural spikes and brain rhythms interact, revealing mechanisms that may help the brain process visual information rapidly and efficiently.
Martina Pandinelli is a PhD researcher in neuroscience working between the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Germany, and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on the physiology of cognitive processes, with a particular interest in the neural mechanisms that enable communication within the brain. Through this research, she seeks to uncover the functional principles that govern information transfer across neural circuits and shape perception. Her broader goal is to contribute to a deeper understanding of how coordinated neural activity gives rise to cognitive functions in the primate brain.