Oscillations in neural activity have received major attention in electrophysiological research over the last decades. This scientific discourse, however, has been heavily focused on the parameters oscillatory power and phase, while other aspects of oscillatory activity, such as oscillatory peak frequency, remain rarely investigated.

Despite its comparatively low prominence in the literature, the parameter peak frequency (i.e., the power-dominant frequency within a circumscribed frequency range) is a promising candidate in the search for neural correlates of perception and cognition. A small but concordant collection of studies highlight its role in temporal perception across various sensory modalities, as well as for important cognitive aspects like attention and memory. Peak frequency further provides the opportunity to determine the to-be-investigated frequency range functionally, instead of relying on historically or a priori defined bands.

In sum, the targeted study of peak frequency promises information reaching beyond the current focus of research on neural oscillations.

The current research topic aims to collect findings highlighting the importance of peak frequency for various aspects of perception and cognition. Specifically, the presented results should characterize the role of peak frequency in contrast to other, more common oscillatory parameters. This should pave the way for a more dynamic and refined view on the role of neuronal oscillations, where the selection of frequency ranges of interest is determined functionally (i.e., by the current dominant signal component), rather than by restriction to an a priori defined frequency range.

Additionally, this project discusses potential reasons for the relative lack of prominence of peak frequency studies in current neuroscience research. Among others, this should cover methodological (e.g., what are the difficulties of an unbiased determination of peak frequency?) and conceptual (e.g., what might be the problem of defining the frequency range of interest arbitrarily, rather than based on the investigated data?) aspects.

Due to the comparatively low prominence of the parameter peak frequency in the current literature, the current research topic deliberately addresses a broad range of topics in connection to oscillatory peak frequency.

Authors are invited to submit experimental findings regarding the role of peak frequency in various aspects of perception (including perception of content and temporal perception, regardless of modality) and cognition (including, but not limited to, memory and attention) in both healthy or clinical samples. Submission is open to studies investigating both neural and/or behavioral time series.

In addition, methodological considerations addressing any technical challenges of peak frequency determination, its analysis, and its subsequent interpretation, are welcome. Likewise, conceptual discussions on peak frequency, its connection to historically defined frequency bands, or its potential use in defining analysis-relevant frequencies, are invited.

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Frontiers in Psychology

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