Abstract
Magnetoencephalography: A new methodology for the study of basic cognitive processes. Magnetoencephalography is a functional neuroimaging technique that enables the description of the temporal and spatial patterns of brain activity related with different basic cognitive processes. Here we describe the main findings regarding functions such as memory, language, perception, and executive functions, obtained by means of the registration of the magnetic fields of the brain. Magnetoencephalographic studies show that: (1) the effects found in different tasks always occur in specific temporal windows; (2) the kind of processing modulates the activation of different neural nets, and therefore, brain activity is not completely determined by the type of material; (3) biomagnetic and behavioural measures are complementary in the study of human cognition. A critical point of view is offered regarding the use of functional neuroimaging techniques. Additionally, a three-dimensional perspective in cognitive research is suggested, in which time, space, and frequency are the parameters used to study the signals of cognition.
