Neural NoiseBCI Weekly Brief (week of 2026-01-19)
How this week was triaged
Age and Task-Dependent Modulations in EMG-EMG Coherence during Gait: A Scoping Review
Journal of Neurophysiology
Score: 0.72
Published: 2026-01-13T12:10:15+00:00
Tags: EMG, methods, motor, coherence
Directly addresses EMG-EMG coherence during gait; physiological time-series and motor control methods.
- Scope: A scoping review mapping the literature on EMG-EMG coherence — a measure of neural mechanisms in locomotion — across ages and walking tasks.
- Search: Six databases searched, yielding 31 studies covering 551 healthy individuals.
- Finding 1 — Aging: Consensus that EMG-EMG coherence decreases during walking with aging, particularly in Beta and Gamma frequency bands, attributed to natural corticospinal tract alterations.
- Finding 2 — Task modulation: Beta and Gamma coherence increases during proprioceptive (perturbation-based) and proactive (obstacle negotiation) locomotor tasks, reflecting enhanced cortical involvement in gait control.
- Gap 1: Alpha-band EMG-EMG coherence remains underexplored and needs further study.
- Gap 2: The field lacks standardized signal processing techniques and frequency band classifications.
- Gap 3: Research on EMG-EMG coherence in children across various locomotor tasks is insufficient.
Network Models of Neurodegeneration: Bridging Neuronal Dynamics and Disease Progression
IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering
Score: 0.68
Published: 2026-01-16T13:18:09+00:00
Tags: computational, network models, neurodegeneration, dynamics
Bridges neural mass and whole-brain models with neuronal dynamics, oscillations, and connectivity; computational neuroscience.
- Scope: A review of computational modeling approaches for neurodegenerative diseases, which are characterized by misfolded protein accumulation and widespread brain function disruption .
- Model class 1 — Neuronal dynamics: Neural mass and whole-brain frameworks that simulate changes in oscillations, connectivity, and network stability .
- Model class 2 — Disease biology: Models of biological disease progression, particularly prion-like protein propagation through the connectome, glial responses, and vascular mechanisms .
- Core problem: These two modeling traditions have historically been developed in isolation, despite experimental evidence that the processes are deeply interconnected .
- Bidirectional feedback: Neuronal activity modulates protein release and clearance, while pathological protein burden disrupts neuronal function — creating a feedback loop .
- Emerging bridge: Recent studies have begun coupling neuronal and pathological processes into unified models .
- Call to action: Mathematical models capturing the feedback between neuronal dynamics and disease biology are needed to determine where/why disease emerges, how it spreads, and how it might be altered .
- Ultimate goal: Linking these domains is key to identifying strategies that slow, halt, or reverse neurodegeneration and restore neural function .