The melody of the immature brain

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.