New article in eLife!

We are very excited about this review / opinion publication on #Traveling_Waves published in eLife and led by Laura Dugué and monkey electrophysiologist Frédéric Chavane!

We review the evidence that different brain mechanisms yield similar observable traveling waves that could subtend canonical computational functions. We present a novel theoretical framework to gather the spectrum of brain dynamics observed across scales, from transient events to complex oscillatory patterns. We propose that similar spatio-temporal patterns observed across scales are underpinned by generative mechanisms that differ in nature. We categorize them as first-order, directly resulting from propagation of activity between neurons, and second-order traveling waves, emerging from higher-order neuronal interactions. Our publication bridges traditionally siloed views linking oscillatory dynamics, transient events, and broader network-level phenomena. We propose a cohesive perspective on spatio-temporal cortical states and, more importantly, offer testable predictions that link brain function to measurable dynamic processes.