biostudies-literaturePapaioannou ONIMH NIH HHS1131https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9496728biostudies-literatureUnknown12(9)One of the proposed neural mechanisms involved in working memory is coupling between the theta phase and gamma amplitude. For example, evidence from intracranial recordings shows that coupling between hippocampal theta and cortical gamma oscillations increases selectively during working memory tasks. Theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling can also be measured non-invasively through scalp EEG; however, EEG can only assess coupling within cortical areas, and it is not yet clear if this cortical-only coupling is truly memory-specific, or a more general phenomenon. We tested this directly by measuring cortical coupling during three different conditions: a working memory task, an attention task, and a passive perception condition. We find similar levels of theta-gamma coupling in all three conditBrain sciencesIs Cortical Theta-Gamma Phase-Amplitude Coupling Memory-Specific?PMC9496728R01 MH121671-01R01 MH121671Erickson MAPapaioannou OClark KCrespo LPOgbuagu NNSilverstein SMAlliende LMfalseIs Cortical Theta-Gamma Phase-Amplitude Coupling Memory-Specific?One of the proposed neural mechanisms involved in working memory is coupling between the theta phase and gamma amplitude. For example, evidence from intracranial recordings shows that coupling between hippocampal theta and cortical gamma oscillations increases selectively during working memory tasks. Theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling can also be measured non-invasively through scalp EEG; however, EEG can only assess coupling within cortical areas, and it is not yet clear if this cortical-only coupling is truly memory-specific, or a more general phenomenon. We tested this directly by measuring cortical coupling during three different conditions: a working memory task, an attention task, and a passive perception condition. We find similar levels of theta-gamma coupling in all three condit2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-04-22T05:41:18.495Z2025-02-19T00:42:09.626ZS-EPMC94967283613886710.3390/brainsci12091131