The development of slow and fast theta oscillations in the human brain
- 1La Trobe University
Abstract
Theta oscillations are pivotal for attention and memory, with developmental shifts in theta activity and connectivity tracking memory ability across the lifespan. Building on initial evidence that the theta band separates into slow and fast sub-bands across development within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), this preregistered study (https://osf.io/gsru7) characterized the frequencies of slow (~1.5-4.5 Hz) and fast (~4.5-9.0 Hz) theta oscillations across the brain in a large developmental cohort. We analyzed intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings from widespread brain regions in 101 children and adults (5.93-54.00 years, 63 males; n electrodes = 5691) using task-based (attention to to-be-remembered visual stimuli) and task-free (resting-state) data. We reveal distinct slow and fast theta oscillations in all regions and identify a spatial gradient in both frequency ranges, with slow theta oscillations speeding up and fast theta oscillations slowing down from posterior to anterior regions. The dissociation between slow and fast theta frequencies peaks during young adulthood, mirroring the developmental trajectory of attention and memory. In the hippocampus and PFC, attentional state (task-based, task-free) modulated age effects, and individual differences in task-based slow theta frequencies predicted individual differences in memory performance, linking the development of slow theta oscillations to the development of memory. Gray matter volume was not associated with age- or task-related differences in theta frequencies, suggesting that the development of theta oscillations is independent of regional brain structure. This study establishes developmental trajectories of slow and fast theta oscillations in localized brain regions and links the maturation of hippocampal and PFC slow theta oscillations to the development of attention and memory.
Related
- What EEG doesn't see: a whole-brain MEG map of sleep spindles and slow oscillations
- Isoflurane anesthesia CNS recovery state: ultra-slow oscillations and cellular-stress-responsive gene expression
- Optogenetic reduction of theta oscillations induces remapping of time cells without memory impairment
- Full-Term and Preterm Differences in Human Brain Functional Connectivity Development Across Birth
- A reduced multicompartment network model of CA1 theta–gamma oscillations under extracellular stimulation
BibTeX
@misc{cross2026development,
title = {{The development of slow and fast theta oscillations in the human brain}},
author = {Z. R. Cross and S. M. Gray and A. J. O. Dede and Y. M. Rivera and Q. Yin and P. Vahidi and E. M. B. Rau and C. Cyr and A. M. Holubecki and E. Asano and O. K. McManus and S. Sattar and I. Saez and F. Girgis and D. King-Stephens and P. B. Weber and K. D. Laxer and S. U. Schuele and J. Y. Wu and S. K. Kam and J. S. Raskin and A. Shaikhouni and P. Brunner and J. L. Roland and R. M. Braga and R. T. Knight and N. Ofen and E. L. Johnson},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.27.754757},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.27.754757v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The development of slow and fast theta oscillations in the human brain
AU - Z. R. Cross
AU - S. M. Gray
AU - A. J. O. Dede
AU - Y. M. Rivera
AU - Q. Yin
AU - P. Vahidi
AU - E. M. B. Rau
AU - C. Cyr
AU - A. M. Holubecki
AU - E. Asano
AU - O. K. McManus
AU - S. Sattar
AU - I. Saez
AU - F. Girgis
AU - D. King-Stephens
AU - P. B. Weber
AU - K. D. Laxer
AU - S. U. Schuele
AU - J. Y. Wu
AU - S. K. Kam
AU - J. S. Raskin
AU - A. Shaikhouni
AU - P. Brunner
AU - J. L. Roland
AU - R. M. Braga
AU - R. T. Knight
AU - N. Ofen
AU - E. L. Johnson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/27
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.27.754757
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.27.754757v1
AB - Theta oscillations are pivotal for attention and memory, with developmental shifts in theta activity and connectivity tracking memory ability across the lifespan. Building on initial evidence that the theta band separates into slow and fast sub-bands across development within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), this preregistered study (https://osf.io/gsru7) characterized the frequencies of slow (~1.5-4.5 Hz) and fast (~4.5-9.0 Hz) theta oscillations across the brain in a large developmental cohort. We analyzed intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings from widespread brain regions in 101 children and adults (5.93-54.00 years, 63 males; n electrodes = 5691) using task-based (attention to to-be-remembered visual stimuli) and task-free (resting-state) data. We reveal distinct slow and fast theta oscillations in all regions and identify a spatial gradient in both frequency ranges, with slow theta oscillations speeding up and fast theta oscillations slowing down from posterior to anterior regions. The dissociation between slow and fast theta frequencies peaks during young adulthood, mirroring the developmental trajectory of attention and memory. In the hippocampus and PFC, attentional state (task-based, task-free) modulated age effects, and individual differences in task-based slow theta frequencies predicted individual differences in memory performance, linking the development of slow theta oscillations to the development of memory. Gray matter volume was not associated with age- or task-related differences in theta frequencies, suggesting that the development of theta oscillations is independent of regional brain structure. This study establishes developmental trajectories of slow and fast theta oscillations in localized brain regions and links the maturation of hippocampal and PFC slow theta oscillations to the development of attention and memory.
ER -