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Individual alpha frequency (IAF) is a specific parameter accounting for the mean velocity of the alpha cycling activity, conventionally ranging between \u223c7 and \u223c13 Hz. One influential hypothesis has proposed a fundamental role of this cycling activity in the segmentation of sensory input and in the regulation of the speed of sensory processing, with faster alpha oscillations resulting in greater temporal resolution and more refined perceptual experience. However, although several recent theoretical and empirical studies would support this account, contradictory evidence suggests caution and more systematic approaches in the assessment and interpretation of this hypothesis. For example, it remains to be explored to what degree IAF shapes perceptual outcomes. In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in bias-free visual contrast detection threshold in a large sample of individuals in the general population (n = 122) could be explained by inter-individual differences in alpha pace. Our results show that the contrast needed to correctly identify target stimuli (individual perceptual threshold) is associated with alpha peak frequency (not amplitude). Specifically, individuals who require reduced contrast show higher IAF than individuals requiring higher contrasts. This suggests that inter-individual differences in alpha frequency contribute to performance variability in low-level perceptual tasks, supporting the hypothesis that IAF underlies a fundamental temporal sampling mechanism that shapes visual objective performance, with higher frequencies promoting enhanced sensory evidence per time unit.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn_a_02026","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]],"date-time":"2023-06-29T13:29:31Z","timestamp":1688045371000},"page":"602-613","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/mitpressjournals.corrections.policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":49,"title":["Individual Alpha Frequency Contributes to the Precision of Human Visual Processing"],"prefix":"10.1162","volume":"36","author":[{"given":"Luca","family":"Tarasi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e0 di Bologna and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Universit\u00e0 di Bologna, Cesena, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1214-2316","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Romei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e0 di Bologna and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Universit\u00e0 di Bologna, Cesena, Italy"},{"name":"Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, Spain"}]}],"member":"281","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e3000487","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.3000487","article-title":"Alpha oscillations and traveling waves: Signatures of predictive coding?","volume":"17","author":"Alamia","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS Biology"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"887","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinph.2003.11.034","article-title":"Peak alpha frequency: An electroencephalographic measure of cognitive preparedness","volume":"115","author":"Angelakis","year":"2004","journal-title":"Clinical Neurophysiology"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib3","first-page":"102","article-title":"Individual alpha peak frequency variability and reproducibility in various experimental conditions","volume":"61","author":"Bazanova","year":"2011","journal-title":"Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.3390\/vision6020030","article-title":"Parietal alpha oscillatory peak frequency mediates the effect of practice on visuospatial working memory performance","volume":"6","author":"Bertaccini","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vision"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib158","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1746","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines11061746","article-title":"Rhythmic TMS as a feasible tool to uncover the oscillatory signatures of audiovisual integration","volume":"11","author":"Bertaccini","year":"2023","journal-title":"Biomedicines"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"732","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-022-01294-x","article-title":"The role of alpha oscillations in temporal binding within and across the senses","volume":"6","author":"Buergers","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nature Human Behaviour"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2014.11.034","article-title":"Individual differences in alpha frequency drive crossmodal illusory perception","volume":"25","author":"Cecere","year":"2015","journal-title":"Current Biology"},{"key":"2024031117563037700_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1017\/S0140525X12000477","article-title":"Whatever next? 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