These two possibilities can be resolved with current methods. The most straightforward approach would be to examine changes in theta power and phase synchrony at local scales in time and space, by assessing these time-resolved metrics at the level of individual electrodes. Indeed, as we have noted earlier, a focus on local dynamics has revealed more subtle increases in theta power against a background of broad decreases. Separating broadband tilts from narrowband oscillations could be particularly useful in such analyses (see “Separating spectral tilt and oscillations analytically”).
