Psychology Department Colloquium: Rhythms as Control Parameters for Brain Function

About this event

Rob Reinhart (Boston University)

Host: Shantanu Jadhav

Contact

shantanu%40brandeis.edu

shantanu@brandeis.edu

for more information.

Abstract: The human brain must coordinate billions of neurons to support memory, learning, decision-making, and behavior. Much of this coordination o ccurs through rhythmic patterns of electrical activity, often called brain oscillations. Although these rhythms have long been associated with cognitive function, a fundamental question remains: Do they merely reflect what the brain is doing, or can they be used to control how it works? In this talk, I will describe research from my laboratory exploring how precisely timed, noninvasive electrical stimulation can alter communication between brain regions and produce measurable changes in cognition and behavior. Our findings show that changing the timing and frequency of stimulation can improve or impair cognitive control, selectively enhance different forms of memory in older adults, and produce lasting changes in impulsive and compulsive behavior. I will also introduce recent advances that allow us to extend this approach beyond the brain's surface to deeper structures involved in learning and action. Together, these studies suggest that brain rhythms are not simply signatures of neural activity, but potentially powerful control parameters for brain function. By understanding how rhythmic activity organizes communication across neural circuits, we may develop more precise ways to investigate the mechanisms of human cognition and, ultimately, restore functions disrupted by aging and psychiatric illness.