Neuronal fast oscillations as a target site for psychoactive drugs

Neuronal oscillations within the electroencephalogram β and γ bands (15–80 Hz) are associated with intense mental activity and cognitive function in general. Specifically, recent advances have implicated γ oscillations in the processing of sensory stimuli and demonstrated that synchronous γ oscillations, appearing concurrently in spatially separate brain regions, can induce β activity. β activity generated in this manner represents established synchronous communication between brain regions and is thought to represent a neuronal network correlate of the “binding phenomenon” in cognitive theory. This review will outline the mechanisms of generation of these oscillations at the cellular and network level, and will highlight the effects of drugs that may modify these mechanisms. Possible modification of fast oscillations by disease processes and clinical intervention are discussed.