Frequency and Laminar Profile of Feature Specific Visual Activity Revealed by Interleaved EEG-fMRI

The role of cortical oscillations in brain function has been extensively debated, resulting in a variety of theoretical frameworks. Using interleaved simultaneous EEG-fMRI, we examined the layer-specific relationship between oscillatory activity and visual processing. We could demonstrate that{gamma} -band activity positively correlates with feature specific signals in superficial layers, but we were able to report a deep layer contribution as well. In addition, we could demonstrate that -band power not only correlates negatively with the feature unspecific BOLD signal, but related to feature specific BOLD as well. Lower frequency was predominantly related to feature unspecific superficial layer BOLD, while upper frequency was found to be related to feature specific BOLD in superficial and deep layers. We conclude that the role of -band oscillations extends beyond widespread inhibition and might be involved in active stimulus processing on the level of visual features.