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Researchers have been able to see brain waves on EEGs for decades, yet no one knew exactly how these waves were created. A new computer model from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland may help explain how neurons work together to create these waves. The brain model, created with the help of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, simulates the activity of 12,000 neurons wired together in a single circuit. The model, published in the journal Neuron, shows that these brain waves emerge naturally from patterns of neuron spiking and recovery. The researchers found that the specific behavior of the various ion channels in the neurons were especially important in creating these waves. Although this is an important step to understanding brain function, researchers need to create large, more complex neural circuits to truly begin to understand neural activity.

Source: http://actu.epfl.ch/news/neural-simulations-hint-at-the-origin-of-brain-w-4/