Following the discovery of context-dependent synchronization of oscillatory neuronal responses in the
visual system, novel methods of time series analysis have been developed for the examination of task- and
performance-related oscillatory activity and its synchronization. Studies employing these advanced techniques
revealed that synchronization of oscillatory responses in the β- and γ-band is involved in a variety of cognitive
functions, such as perceptual grouping, attention-dependent stimulus selection, routing of signals across distributed
cortical networks, sensory-motor integration, working memory, and perceptual awareness. Here, we review evidence
that certain brain disorders, such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's are
associated with abnormal neural synchronization. The data suggest close correlations between abnormalities in
neuronal synchronization and cognitive dysfunctions, emphasizing the importance of temporal coordination. Thus, a
focused search for abnormalities in temporal patterning may be of considerable clinical relevance.
