PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Julian Q. Kosciessa
AU  - Thomas H. Grandy
AU  - Douglas D. Garrett
AU  - Markus Werkle-Bergner
TI  - Single-trial characterization of neural rhythms: potentials and challenges
AID  - 10.1101/356089
DP  - 2018 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 356089
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/10/23/356089.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/10/23/356089.full
AB  - The average power of rhythmic neural responses as captured by MEG/EEG/LFP recordings is a prevalent index of human brain function. Increasing evidence questions the utility of trial-/group averaged power estimates, as seemingly sustained activity patterns may be brought about by time-varying transient signals in each single trial. Hence, it is crucial to accurately describe the duration and power of rhythmic and arrhythmic neural responses on the single trial-level. However, it is less clear how well this can be achieved in empirical MEG/EEG/LFP recordings. Here, we extend an existing rhythm detection algorithm (extended Better OSCillation detection: “eBOSC”; cf. Whitten et al., 2011) to systematically investigate boundary conditions for estimating neural rhythms at the single-trial level. Using simulations as well as resting and task-based EEG recordings from a micro-longitudinal assessment, we show that alpha rhythms can be successfully captured in single trials with high specificity, but that the quality of single-trial estimates varies greatly between subjects. Importantly, our analyses suggest that rhythmic estimates are reliable within-subject markers, but may not be consistently valid descriptors of the individual rhythmic process. Finally, we highlight the utility and potential of rhythm detection with multiple proof-of-concept examples, and discuss various implications for single-trial analyses of neural rhythms in electrophysiological recordings.