Cognitive enhancement: it’s about time

Voelker et al. (2016) discuss the intriguing possibility that faster response times after training result from changes in white matter pathways, and propose that frontal theta activity is important for inducing these changes. We argue that, depending on the specific cognitive processes and brain networks targeted by training, oscillatory activity in other frequency bands could produce similar changes in white matter. Such changes can have a profound effect on brain function and performance if they optimize the timing of information transmission through neural networks. It is not about frequency or speed per se; it is about time.