Separating Neural Oscillations from Aperiodic 1/f Activity: Challenges and Recommendations

Electrophysiological power spectra typically consist of two components: An aperiodic part usually following an 1/f power law [Formula: see text] and periodic components appearing as spectral peaks. While the investigation of the periodic parts, commonly referred to as neural oscillations, has received considerable attention, the study of the aperiodic part has only recently gained more interest. The periodic part is usually quantified by center frequencies, powers, and bandwidths, while the aperiodic part is parameterized by the y-intercept and the 1/f exponent [Formula: see text]. For investigation of either part, however, it is essential to separate the two components. In this article, we scrutinize two…

• W
  Wellcome

  Award: 203147/Z/16/Z
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Awards: 203147/Z/16/Z, 424778381 TRR 295, Project ID 424778381 TRR 295, 424778381, TRR 295
• MF
  Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften