About this Research Topic

Background

Dr. Paul McLean's concept of the "triune brain" proposes that the complexity of the human brain evolved by gradually adding new regions to an ancestral, simpler brain. However, recent breakthroughs in comparative neuroscience challenge this view, revealing that even in vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and birds, a region akin to the cerebral cortex's grey matter exists. In essence, this cerebral mantle is shared across all vertebrates and is not exclusive to mammals.

Among vertebrates, including fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, sleep EEG patterns—slow-wave sleep (non-REM sleep) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep)—have been observed. Yet, a fundamental question remains:

Do alpha wave (8-13 Hz) EEG rhythms, distinct from sleep EEG and prominently present in humans, universally appear among vertebrates? Conversely, do the alpha wave rhythms (10Hz) observed in humans during wakefulness, rest, and eye closure appear only in mammals, especially primates?

The gradual increase of alpha waves with age in humans, reaching 10 Hz around age 8, suggests that alpha wave maturation may take over 8 years. This maturation may remain unobservable in short-lived species like fish, reptiles, and birds. Zebrafish exhibit heightened brain activity during wakefulness but lack alpha rhythms. A similar absence is noted in reptilian brains, such as the phalaropean bearded lizard. In contrast, mammalian EEGs display distinctive alpha rhythms.

Considering this context, the evolution of the 10-Hz alpha rhythm may involve intricate interactions among three brain regions: the cerebral mantle, basal ganglia (especially the thalamus), and brainstem. The puzzling trajectory of alpha rhythm evolution led us to design this Research Topic with the aim of testing hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of EEG alpha rhythms and applying them to humans.

This Research Topic embarks on an evolutionary expedition into alpha rhythms in EEG. It encompasses acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting alpha rhythms in various vertebrates, including humans, spanning fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. In the human context, it explores maturation from theta to alpha rhythms across infancy to adulthood, and deviations caused by brain injuries and epilepsy. The scope extends beyond unveiling the alpha rhythm's physiological mechanisms, encompassing its potential application in human neuromodulation.

Topics to be included in the collection include, but are not limited to:

• Comparative Alpha Rhythms: Unveiling alpha rhythm variations across vertebrates and humans, emphasizing the evolutionary relevance of the 10 Hz band.
• Alpha Rhythm Analysis: Investigating baseline brain rhythms during rest, eye closure, and wakefulness, using advanced analytical techniques.
• Neurocognitive Disorders: Examining aberrant alpha rhythms in neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer's, epilepsy, ADHD, and brain injuries, exploring diagnostic and management implications.
• Modulating Alpha Rhythms: Probing altered alpha rhythms through techniques like tDCS and rTMS for potential neuromodulation.
• Evolutionary Prospects: Exploring alpha rhythms' evolution during rest and heightened states like meditation.

We welcome the following types of articles to the collection:
• Review Article: Comprehensive insight into resting baseline rhythms, highlighting alpha rhythm evolution in vertebrates.
• Original Research Papers: Empirical studies revealing alpha rhythm insights, clinical applications in neurocognitive disorders, and innovative analysis methodologies.

This research theme deciphers alpha rhythms' evolutionary journey, maturation, disorders, modulation, and future roles across vertebrates.

Keywords: Alpha Rhythm, Neurocognitive Disorders, Vertebrates, Evolution, EEG

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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