# Understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of alpha-band brain oscillations using concurrent EEG-fMRI recordings

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $655,437

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Alpha oscillations, 8-12Hz fluctuations in neural signals, are robust across species, covary with states of
attention, and are impacted in multiple disorder states, and in recent years have become a candidate biomarker
of attention system efficacy, particularly in disorders of attention such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). Yet, despite this broad acceptance of alpha oscillations as an attention read-out signal, significant
questions remain regarding the mechanisms and thus interpretation of alpha oscillations. The goal of our
research is to answer the central question of whether the neurocognitive mechanisms of alpha oscillations are
strictly attentional or whether they more closely reflect other mechanisms such as local processing dynamics or
system-wide tonic alertness.
To address this question, we will record EEG and fMRI concurrently in human participants, and employ causal
models, to identify functional connectivity (3T scanning) and laminar activation (7T scanning) of visual cortex
during alpha modulations across different task contexts. We aim to test (1) if alpha increases reflect cortical
suppression or tonic alertness, (2) if alpha decreases reflect cortical enhancement or local information
flow, and, (3) if alpha modulations reflect top-down signals or if they are a passive by-product of either
cortico-cortical or thalamo-cortical drivers. The results will directly impact interpretation of alpha oscillations as a
biomarker of attention-system efficacy in ADHD and related conditions, outlining a model that can be targeted in
treatment or monitoring of attention deficits in ADHD. By accounting for variability in existing findings, this work
will also differentiate between two theoretical frameworks of alpha oscillations and speak to recent debates on
whether alpha oscillations are a correlate or a product of top-down signals.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10706545
- **Project number:** 5R01MH128475-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Agatha Lenartowicz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $655,437
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-19 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10706545

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10706545, Understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of alpha-band brain oscillations using concurrent EEG-fMRI recordings (5R01MH128475-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10706545. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*