ArticleeNeuro
Electrophysiological Frequency Band Ratio Measures Conflate Periodic and Aperiodic Neural Activity.
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Who cites it
105 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A Systematic Review of Aperiodic Neural Activity in Clinical Investigations.The European journal of neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
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- Predicting stroke severity with a 3-min recording from the Muse portable EEG system for rapid diagnosis of stroke.Scientific reports · 2020Trial
- LSD reconfigures cortical dynamics through faster brain rhythms and increased fractal dimension.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Inattention in Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety: Neurophysiological Evidence for Distinct and Overlapping Cognitive Mechanisms.Journal of attention disorders · 2026Article
- Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Combined with Cognitive Training in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for an 18-Week Randomised, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Feasibility Pilot Study (The iCog.X Boost Trial).Methods and protocols · 2026Article
- Characterization of aperiodic and theta activity in preterm infants using EEG: Insights into cerebral maturation and inter-individual variability.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- Theta beta ratio in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder using a multiverse analysis.eLife · 2026Article
- The longitudinal development of intrinsic timescales in infancy and their relation to alpha brain rhythm.Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) · 2026Article
- Power struggles: Absolute vs. relative EEG power in developmental neuroscience.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- Resting-state periodic and aperiodic brain oscillations from birth to preschool years: Aperiodic maturity predicts developmental course.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- Relating ADHD to the aperiodic component of the EEG signal in both males and females across development.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- Individual cases of Parkinson's disease can be robustly classified using magnetoencephalography.NPJ Parkinson's disease · 2026Article
- Revolutionizing Pediatric Neurophysiology With Magnetoencephalography.Psychophysiology · 2026Review
- Beyond classical metrics: Generalizability theory across psychophysiological modalities.International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology · 2026Review
- Aperiodicity in Mouse CA1 and DG Power Spectra.eNeuro · 2026Article
- Reduced cortical excitability is associated with head impact severity and cognitive symptoms in adolescent football players.iScience · 2026Article
- Dissociating Contributions of Theta and Alpha Oscillations from Aperiodic Neural Activity in Human Visual Working Memory.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026Article
- Confirmation of a Useful Dark-Room Resting-State Procedure: Periodic and Aperiodic MEG Activity in Children.Psychophysiology · 2026Article
45 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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3 authors.
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Abstract
Band ratio measures, computed as the ratio of power between two frequency bands, are a common analysis measure in neuroelectrophysiological recordings. Band ratio measures are typically interpreted as reflecting quantitative measures of periodic, or oscillatory, activity. This assumes that the measure reflects relative powers of distinct periodic components that are well captured by predefined frequency ranges. However, electrophysiological signals contain periodic components and a 1/f-like aperiodic component, the latter of which contributes power across all frequencies. Here, we investigate whether band ratio measures truly reflect oscillatory power differences, and/or to what extent ratios may instead reflect other periodic changes, such as in center frequency or bandwidth, and/or aperiodic activity. In simulation, we investigate how band ratio measures relate to changes in multiple spectral features, and show how multiple periodic and aperiodic features influence band ratio measures. We validate these findings in human electroencephalography (EEG) data, comparing band ratio measures to parameterizations of power spectral features and find that multiple disparate features influence ratio measures. For example, the commonly applied θ/β ratio is most reflective of differences in aperiodic activity, and not oscillatory θ or β power. Collectively, we show that periodic and aperiodic features can create the same observed changes in band ratio measures, and that this is inconsistent with their typical interpretations as measures of periodic power. We conclude that band ratio measures are a non-specific measure, conflating multiple possible underlying spectral changes, and recommend explicit parameterization of neural power spectra as a more specific approach.
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