Human brain recordings revealed distinct ultra-slow rhythms
An observational study of 175 people found age and sex differences in a rhythmic electrical signal that stood apart from background activity.
Our read
Biomarkers- Studied:
- Preprint: cross-sectional study of 175 people
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Electrical brain recordings from 175 people revealed a distinct ultra-slow rhythm in an observational study. The activity centered at about 0.1 cycles per second and differed from the recordings’ nonrhythmic background. The researchers quantified its periodicity—how regularly it repeated—using a modified measure of relative rhythmic power.
The rhythm did not differ between eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Female participants had higher values on the periodicity measure than males. Adults aged 55–75 had lower values than those aged 20–35, predominantly toward the back of the head. The authors proposed that the signal provided a noninvasive electrical readout of localized vasomotion, rhythmic changes in brain blood-vessel diameter.
Why it matters
Age-related changes in brain blood vessels are a potential target for this proposed marker. The authors suggested that the rhythm could help track coordination between brain activity and blood flow.
Caveats
People in the older and younger groups may also have differed in ways other than age. The report is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed.
- Eye opening
- Infraslow fluctuations
- Monochromatic ultra-slow oscillations
- MUSO relative periodic power
- Phase-amplitude coupling
- Humans
The paper
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Research Square, Nov 10, 2026, Open access, Preprint, not yet peer-reviewed
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