For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity in the brain. Now, for the first time, researchers at Yale University have pinpointed where a specific type of this activity—known as gamma waves—originates and have linked it directly to behavior.

Through the development of a highly precise new method for measuring brain activity, the team overcame long-standing technical barriers that had prevented a clear understanding of how these oscillations contribute to information processing and behavioral control.