The melody of the immature brain

Abstract The periodicity of brain activity became ob­vious even after the first attempt to capture it, with Hans Berger noting in 1929 that the “electroencephalogram represents a con­tinuous curve with continuous oscillations”. This rhythmicity of neural activity, the ‘melo­dy’ of the brain, has since gained interest as an energy-efficient strategy for the organisa­tion and communication both within and be­tween brain regions. While it is now known that these oscillations actively contribute to sensory perception and cognition in the adult brain, their function during development is still largely unknown. Recent experimental data revealed the ability of immature human and rodent brain to generate various patterns of electrical activity. Their properties and un­derlying mechanisms may vary among dif­ferent brain areas. However, these early pat­terns of activity seem to facilitate the refine­ment of cortical maps involved in sensory perception as well as mnemonic and execu­tive processing. Here we review recent stud­ies, which characterize the early oscillatory activity and demonstrate its impact on brain development.