Finding thalamic BOLD correlates to posterior alpha EEG

► BOLD signals in pulvinar correlate negatively with alpha modulation. ► BOLD signals around the midline of the thalamus correlate positively with alpha. ► Occipital cortical alpha rhythms arise partly from the pulvinar. ► Pulvinar plays a modulatory role while LGN relays visual inputs. ► Cortical alpha rhythms can be influenced by ascending modulation system.