Cortical Low-Frequency Power and Progressive Phase Synchrony Precede Successful Memory Encoding

In this paper's research the authors found that before a stimulus there is a synchronized oscillation between various cortical regions that cause the stimulus to be correctly memorized, the regions exhibit an increases in low-frequency oscillatory power that bound together through progressive low-frequency phase synchrony that involved the medial temporal lobe by the time of word presentation. This may reflect attentional mechanisms that optimize memory encoding.

Data suggest that the engagement of attentional networks (which for the authors determine the extent to which memories are successfully encoded) are dependent on the interaction between power and phase synchrony.