Gamma entrainment: The brain “locking on” to a silent metronome
Gamma‐band oscillations (30–60 Hz) are linked to sensory binding and cognitive functions. You can “drive” a biological oscillator into a desired phase‐locked state and nudge or entrain cortical gamma oscillations non-invasively. Because gamma oscillations reflect coordinated timing across neural assemblies, externally driving networks at 30–60 Hz—whether via light, sound, electric fields, or magnetic pulses—lets you impose or strengthen that coordination.
It’s the same principle as a phase-locked loop: you supply a periodic reference and the neurons “lock” their rhythm to it. Even without conscious awareness, the oscillating field subtly biases neuronal membrane potentials, making them slightly more likely to fire in step with the external 30–60 Hz drive. Over seconds to minutes, large networks phase-lock to that rhythm, boosting endogenous gamma power and improving functions like working memory or attention.
