Institute of Physiology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Timakova str., 4, Novosibirsk, 630117, Russia.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2012 Jan;36(1):677-95. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.10.002. Epub 2011 Oct 14.
Functional significance of delta oscillations is not fully understood. One way to approach this question would be from an evolutionary perspective. Delta oscillations dominate the EEG of waking reptiles. In humans, they are prominent only in early developmental stages and during slow-wave sleep. Increase of delta power has been documented in a wide array of developmental disorders and pathological conditions. Considerable evidence on the association between delta waves and autonomic and metabolic processes hints that they may be involved in integration of cerebral activity with homeostatic processes. Much evidence suggests the involvement of delta oscillations in motivation. They increase during hunger, sexual arousal, and in substance users. They also increase during panic attacks and sustained pain. In cognitive domain, they are implicated in attention, salience detection, and subliminal perception. This evidence shows that delta oscillations are associated with evolutionary old basic processes, which in waking adults are overshadowed by more advanced processes associated with higher frequency oscillations. The former processes rise in activity, however, when the latter are dysfunctional.
Delta 振荡的功能意义尚未完全明了。一种研究这个问题的方法是从进化的角度来看。Delta 振荡主导着清醒爬行动物的 EEG。在人类中，它们仅在早期发育阶段和慢波睡眠中明显。在广泛的发育障碍和病理条件下已经记录到 delta 功率的增加。大量关于 delta 波与自主和代谢过程之间关联的证据表明，它们可能参与大脑活动与体内平衡过程的整合。大量证据表明 delta 振荡参与动机。它们在饥饿、性唤起和物质使用者中增加。它们也在惊恐发作和持续疼痛期间增加。在认知领域，它们与注意力、显着性检测和潜意识感知有关。这些证据表明，delta 振荡与古老的基本进化过程有关，而在清醒的成年人中，这些过程被与更高频率振荡相关的更高级过程所掩盖。然而，当后者出现功能障碍时，前者的活动会增加。
