Gamma-Band Activity Reflects the Metric Structure of Rhythmic Tone Sequences

This EEG study demonstrates that gamma-band (40 Hz) neural activity encodes the hierarchical metric structure of rhythmic tone sequences. Gamma oscillations are stronger at metrically strong beat positions than weak positions, revealing that the brain uses gamma-frequency synchronization to represent rhythmic meter. This finding connects gamma-band activity — disrupted in Alzheimer's disease — to fundamental aspects of rhythm processing and provides early evidence supporting gamma entrainment as a therapeutic target.