Illuminating brain's "dark energy": a living lens of spontaneous slow oscillations. reply to comments on 'dark brain energy: toward an integrative model of spontaneous slow oscillations'.
Physics of life reviews – January 21, 2026
Source: PubMed
Summary
A compelling three-layer brain hierarchy models spontaneous slow oscillations (SSOs) across six frequency bands. This framework, enriched by seven commentaries, explores SSOs' profound link to consciousness. Discussions delve into geometric foundations, evolutionary mechanisms, and mathematical modeling of traveling waves. The integrated perspective refines understanding of this brain hierarchy, suggesting how neural eigenmodes and predictive coding underpin these fundamental rhythms and their neurocognitive basis.
Abstract
In our target article "Dark Brain Energy: Toward an Integrative Model of Spontaneous Slow Oscillations", we proposed a three-layer hierarchical framework to model the spontaneous slow oscillations (SSOs) across six frequency bands to delineate their spectral architecture, functional roles, and neurocognitive basis. We are grateful for the seven insightful commentary articles from colleagues across neuroscience, physics, mathematics, psychology and clinics, which collectively enrich our framework. In this review, we address five key themes emerging from and inspired by these commentaries: (1) the relationship between SSOs and consciousness, (2) the geometric foundations of SSOs, (3) evolutionary, developmental, and metabolic mechanisms of SSOs, (4) mathematical modeling of traveling waves underlying SSOs, and (5) neuroscientific implications for brain-inspired intelligence. We finally integrate these perspectives to refine our original model and outline future research directions.