Methodological considerations for studying neural oscillations
Published in European Journal of Neuroscience, 2021
Neural oscillations, crucial for understanding cognitive tasks, require careful analysis due to the complexities of field potential data. This article outlines seven key considerations for their study:
(1) confirming oscillation presence;
(2) accurately defining oscillation bands;
(3) accounting for overlapping aperiodic activity;
(4) addressing temporal variability;
(5) considering non-sinusoidal waveform shape;
(6) distinguishing between spatially overlapping rhythms; and
(7) ensuring a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio.
These points are essential for avoiding misinterpretation and improving the reliability of neural oscillation research.