Table 1.
Electro/magneto-encephalography (EEG/MEG) experiments investigating oscillations phase-amplitude tradeoffs on behavioral performance in human
| Study | Method | Frequency band |
Frequency | Oscillatory activity | Modality | Behavioral measure | Main results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studies using TMS | |||||||
| Visual modality | |||||||
| Current study | EEG | α | 10 Hz | Spontaneous | Visual | Near-threshold TMS-induced phosphene perception | Phase-amplitude effect on detection, stronger for high amplitude |
| Other modalities | |||||||
| Hussain et al. (2019) | EEG | α, β | 8–12 Hz, 13–30 Hz | Spontaneous | Motor | Supra-threshold TMS-induced MEP | Optimal phase (leading to increased MEP) reverses between low-α and high-α amplitude; no phase-amplitude effect for β |
| Madsen et al. (2019) | EEG | α | 7–13 Hz | Spontaneous | Motor | Supra-threshold TMS-induced MEP | No phase-amplitude effect on MEP amplitude |
| Studies not using TMS | |||||||
| Visual modality | |||||||
| Alexander et al. (2020) | EEG | α | 5.6–14.4 Hz | Spontaneous | Visual | Detection of near-threshold stimulus through eyes closed | Phase effect on detection for high amplitude |
| Bonnefond and Jensen (2015) | MEG | α | 9–12 Hz | Stimulus-locked (retention interval) | Visual | Sternberg working memory task with supra-threshold stimuli | Phase effect on γ power for high amplitude |
| Busch and VanRullen (2010) | EEG | θ | 7 Hz | Spontaneous (amplitude attentionally modulated) | Visual | Detection of spatially attended or unattended near-threshold visual stimulus | Phase effect on detection and GFP for low amplitude |
| Harris et al. (2018) | EEG | θ, α | 5 Hz, 11–15 Hz |
Stimulus-locked (α amplitude attentionally modulated) | Visual | Detection of spatially attended or unattended near-threshold visual stimulus | No phase-amplitude effect on detection |
| Kizuk and Mathewson (2017) | EEG | α | 12 Hz | Entrained | Visual | Detection of spatially attended or unattended metacontrast masked stimulus (75% performance) | Tendency for phase-amplitude effect on detection, stronger for high amplitude |
| Mathewson et al. (2009) | EEG | α | 10 Hz | Stimulus-locked | Visual | Detection of metacontrast masked stimulus (70% performance) | Phase effect on detection for high amplitude |
| Milton and Pleydell-Pearce (2016) | EEG | α | 7.8–12.7 Hz | Spontaneous (amplitude attentionally modulated) | Visual | Simultaneity judgement of spatially attended or unattended stimulus (50% performance) | No phase-amplitude effect on simultaneity judgement |
| Other modalities | |||||||
| Ai and Ro (2014) | EEG | α | 8–12 Hz | Spontaneous | Somatosensory | Detection of near-threshold stimulus | Phase effect on detection for high amplitude |
| Herrmann et al. (2016) | MEG | δ | 2 Hz | Entrained | Auditory | Detection of near-threshold stimulus | Phase effect on detection for high amplitude |
| Ng et al. (2012) | EEG | θ, α | 2–6 Hz, 8–12 Hz |
Entrained | Auditory | Detection of near-threshold stimulus | θ Phase-amplitude effect on detection, stronger for high amplitude; no phase-amplitude effect for α |
| Spitzer et al. (2016) | EEG | δ, θ, and α | 3 Hz, 6.7 Hz, 11 Hz |
Stimulus-locked | Visual, auditory, and somatosensory | Two-interval numerosity comparison task (80% performance) | δ Phase-amplitude effect on choice-predictive signals, stronger for high amplitude; no phase-amplitude effect for θ and α |
| Zoefel and Heil (2013) | EEG | δ | 0.5 Hz | Entrained and spontaneous | Auditory | Detection of near-threshold stimulus | No phase-amplitude effect on detection neither for entrained nor for spontaneous oscillations |
Note that studies independently investigating the phase and the amplitude of oscillations were not included in this table. We only selected studies specifically investigating the interaction between the instantaneous phase and the amplitude on behavioral performance. Entrained oscillations: oscillations with a nonrandom phase distribution induced by a repetitive stimulus presentation. Stimulus-locked oscillations: oscillations with a nonrandom phase distribution induced by a single stimulus. Spontaneous oscillations: oscillations with a random phase distribution. GFP, global field power; MEP, motor-evoked potential; TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation.