Neurons exhibit rhythmic activity at different frequencies in an asynchronous state
at 17 th century, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens hung two of his newly invented pendulum clocks on a block of wood and observed that over time, the clocks synchronized their beats. He reported this finding, which he called ‘strange sympathy’, in 1665. Three and a half centuries later, neurons in the brain were found to synchronize their activity in the same way. Neurons in the brain often synchronize in quasi-rhythmic activity, collectively producing ‘brain waves’ that can sometimes be detected even from outside the skull using electroencephalography. Synchronization in these rhythms helps neurons to exchange information efficiently, which is essential for performing important functions such as learning, memory, attention, perception, and movement. How these rhythms are generated, maintained, and abolished to suit the ever-changing needs for smooth brain operation is an active area of research. In a new study published today in Cell Reports, a team of neuroscientists led by P