Distinct lifespan trajectories of cortical intrinsic timescales and neural oscillations

Cortical intrinsic timescales shorten from ~29 ms in childhood to 9 ms in late adulthood, with the steepest decline before age 30, across all cortical regions.

• Why it matters: Neural persistence supports how the brain integrates information, but lifespan changes in these temporal dynamics—and their underlying mechanisms—are not well defined.
• What they did: Resting-state magnetoencephalography from three independent cohorts (n = 1,156; ages 6–88) quantified cortical intrinsic timescales and alpha oscillatory frequency, then tested corticothalamic model links and network simulations.
• The result: Timescale compression is reproducible across cohorts and preserves the sensory-to-association hierarchy, while alpha frequency peaks in early adulthood and declines after midlife, linked to stronger intrathalamic inhibition and conduction delays.

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