1
|
Jiao F, Zhuang J, Nitsche MA, Lin Z, Ma Y, Liu Y. Application of transcranial alternating current stimulation to improve eSports-related cognitive performance. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1308370. [PMID: 38476869 PMCID: PMC10927847 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1308370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Electronic Sports (eSports) is a popular and still emerging sport. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) and First/Third Person Shooting Games (FPS/TPS) require excellent visual attention abilities. Visual attention involves specific frontal and parietal areas, and is associated with alpha coherence. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a principally suitable tool to improve cognitive functions by modulation of regional oscillatory cortical networks that alters regional and larger network connectivity. Methods In this single-blinded crossover study, 27 healthy college students were recruited and exposed to 10 Hz tACS of the right frontoparietal network. Subjects conducted a Visual Spatial Attention Distraction task in three phases: T0 (pre-stimulation), T1 (during stimulation), T2 (after-stimulation), and an eSports performance task which contained three games ("Exact Aiming," "Flick Aiming," "Press Reaction") before and after stimulation. Results The results showed performance improvements in the "Exact Aiming" task and hint for a prevention of reaction time performance decline in the "Press Reaction" task in the real, as compared to the sham stimulation group. We also found a significant decrease of reaction time in the visual spatial attention distraction task at T1 compared to T0 in the real, but not sham intervention group. However, accuracy and inverse efficiency scores (IES) did not differ between intervention groups in this task. Discussion These results suggest that 10 Hz tACS over the right frontal and parietal cortex might improve eSports-related skill performance in specific tasks, and also improve visual attention in healthy students during stimulation. This tACS protocol is a potential tool to modulate neurocognitive performance involving tracking targets, and might be a foundation for the development of a new concept to enhance eSports performance. This will require however proof in real life scenarios, as well optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fujia Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jie Zhuang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Michael A. Nitsche
- Department Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
- University Hospital OWL, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and University Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Bochum, Germany
| | - Zhenggen Lin
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanbo Ma
- Department Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ociepka M, Chinta SR, Basoń P, Chuderski A. No effects of the theta-frequency transcranial electrical stimulation for recall, attention control, and relation integration in working memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1354671. [PMID: 38439936 PMCID: PMC10910036 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1354671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent studies have suggested that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and especially the theta-frequency tACS, can improve human performance on working memory tasks. However, evidence to date is mixed. Moreover, the two WM tasks applied most frequently, namely the n-back and change-detection tasks, might not constitute canonical measures of WM capacity. Method In a relatively large sample of young healthy participants (N = 62), we administered a more canonical WM task that required stimuli recall, as well as we applied two WM tasks tapping into other key WM functions: attention control (the antisaccade task) and relational integration (the graph mapping task). The participants performed these three tasks three times: during the left frontal 5.5-Hz and the left parietal 5.5-Hz tACS session as well as during the sham session, with a random order of sessions. Attentional vigilance and subjective experience were monitored. Results For each task administered, we observed significant gains in accuracy neither for the frontal tACS session nor for the parietal tACS session, as compared to the sham session. By contrast, the scores on each task positively inter-correlated across the three sessions. Discussion The results suggest that canonical measures of WM capacity are strongly stable in time and hardly affected by theta-frequency tACS. Either the tACS effects observed in the n-back and change detection tasks do not generalize onto other WM tasks, or the tACS method has limited effectiveness with regard to WM, and might require further methodological advancements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michał Ociepka
- Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Paweł Basoń
- Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Noda Y, Sakaue K, Wada M, Takano M, Nakajima S. Development of Artificial Intelligence for Determining Major Depressive Disorder Based on Resting-State EEG and Single-Pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Evoked EEG Indices. J Pers Med 2024; 14:101. [PMID: 38248802 PMCID: PMC10817456 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is the disorder with the greatest socioeconomic burdens. Its diagnosis is still based on an operational diagnosis derived from symptoms, and no objective diagnostic indicators exist. Thus, the present study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to aid in the diagnosis of depression from electroencephalography (EEG) data by applying machine learning to resting-state EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-evoked EEG acquired from patients with depression and healthy controls. Resting-state EEG and single-pulse TMS-EEG were acquired from 60 patients and 60 healthy controls. Power spectrum analysis, phase synchronization analysis, and phase-amplitude coupling analysis were conducted on EEG data to extract feature candidates to apply different types of machine learning algorithms. Furthermore, to address the limitation of the sample size, dimensionality reduction was performed in a manner to increase the quality of information by featuring robust neurophysiological metrics that showed significant differences between the two groups. Then, nine different machine learning models were applied to the data. For the EEG data, we created models combining four modalities, including (1) resting-state EEG, (2) pre-stimulus TMS-EEG, (3) post-stimulus TMS-EEG, and (4) differences between pre- and post-stimulus TMS-EEG, and evaluated their performance. We found that the best estimation performance (a mean area under the curve of 0.922) was obtained using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis when linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied to the combination of the four feature sets. This study showed that by using TMS-EEG neurophysiological indices as features, it is possible to develop a depression decision-support AI algorithm that exhibits high discrimination accuracy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kento Sakaue
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
- Division of DX Promotion, Teijin Limited, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan
| | - Masataka Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Mayuko Takano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
- Teijin Pharma Limited, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Widge AS. Closing the loop in psychiatric deep brain stimulation: physiology, psychometrics, and plasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:138-149. [PMID: 37415081 PMCID: PMC10700701 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01643-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an invasive approach to precise modulation of psychiatrically relevant circuits. Although it has impressive results in open-label psychiatric trials, DBS has also struggled to scale to and pass through multi-center randomized trials. This contrasts with Parkinson disease, where DBS is an established therapy treating thousands of patients annually. The core difference between these clinical applications is the difficulty of proving target engagement, and of leveraging the wide range of possible settings (parameters) that can be programmed in a given patient's DBS. In Parkinson's, patients' symptoms change rapidly and visibly when the stimulator is tuned to the correct parameters. In psychiatry, those same changes take days to weeks, limiting a clinician's ability to explore parameter space and identify patient-specific optimal settings. I review new approaches to psychiatric target engagement, with an emphasis on major depressive disorder (MDD). Specifically, I argue that better engagement may come by focusing on the root causes of psychiatric illness: dysfunction in specific, measurable cognitive functions and in the connectivity and synchrony of distributed brain circuits. I overview recent progress in both those domains, and how it may relate to other technologies discussed in companion articles in this issue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alik S Widge
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Nakamura-Palacios EM, Falçoni Júnior AT, Anders QS, de Paula LDSP, Zottele MZ, Ronchete CF, Lirio PHC. Would frontal midline theta indicate cognitive changes induced by non-invasive brain stimulation? A mini review. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1116890. [PMID: 37520930 PMCID: PMC10375045 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1116890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To the best of our knowledge, neurophysiological markers indicating changes induced by non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) on cognitive performance, especially one of the most investigated under these procedures, working memory (WM), are little known. Here, we will briefly introduce frontal midline theta (FM-theta) oscillation (4-8 Hz) as a possible indicator for NIBS effects on WM processing. Electrophysiological recordings of FM-theta oscillation seem to originate in the medial frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, but they may be driven more subcortically. FM-theta has been acknowledged to occur during memory and emotion processing, and it has been related to WM and sustained attention. It mainly occurs in the frontal region during a delay period, in which specific information previously shown is no longer perceived and must be manipulated to allow a later (delayed) response and observed in posterior regions during information maintenance. Most NIBS studies investigating effects on cognitive performance have used n-back tasks that mix manipulation and maintenance processes. Thus, if considering FM-theta as a potential neurophysiological indicator for NIBS effects on different WM components, adequate cognitive tasks should be considered to better address the complexity of WM processing. Future research should also evaluate the potential use of FM-theta as an index of the therapeutic effects of NIBS intervention on neuropsychiatric disorders, especially those involving the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and cognitive dysfunctions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Quézia Silva Anders
- Superior School of Sciences of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória (EMESCAM), Vitória, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Haslacher D, Narang A, Sokoliuk R, Cavallo A, Reber P, Nasr K, Santarnecchi E, Soekadar SR. In vivo phase-dependent enhancement and suppression of human brain oscillations by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Neuroimage 2023:120187. [PMID: 37230205 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can influence perception and behavior, with recent evidence also highlighting its potential impact in clinical settings, but its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Behavioral and indirect physiological evidence indicates that phase-dependent constructive and destructive interference between the applied electric field and brain oscillations at the stimulation frequency may play an important role, but in vivo validation during stimulation was unfeasible because stimulation artifacts impede single-trial assessment of brain oscillations during tACS. Here, we attenuated stimulation artifacts to provide evidence for phase-dependent enhancement and suppression of visually evoked steady state responses (SSR) during amplitude-modulated tACS (AM-tACS). We found that AM-tACS enhanced and suppressed SSR by 5.77 ± 2.95 %, while it enhanced and suppressed corresponding visual perception by 7.99 ± 5.15 %. While not designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this effect, our study suggests feasibility and superiority of phase-locked (closed-loop) AM-tACS over conventional (open-loop) AM-tACS to purposefully enhance or suppress brain oscillations at specific frequencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Haslacher
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Asmita Narang
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rodika Sokoliuk
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessia Cavallo
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Reber
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Khaled Nasr
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Precision Neuroscience and Neuromodulation Program & Network Control Laboratory, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Surjo R Soekadar
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany..
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Casula A, Milazzo BM, Martino G, Sergi A, Lucifora C, Tomaiuolo F, Quartarone A, Nitsche MA, Vicario CM. Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for the Modulation of Aggressive Behavior-A Systematic Review of Randomized Sham-Controlled Studies. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051220. [PMID: 37240865 DOI: 10.3390/life13051220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRO Aggressive behavior represents a significant public health issue, with relevant social, political, and security implications. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques may modulate aggressive behavior through stimulation of the prefrontal cortex. AIMS To review research on the effectiveness of NIBS to alter aggression, discuss the main findings and potential limitations, consider the specifics of the techniques and protocols employed, and discuss clinical implications. METHODS A systematic review of the literature available in the PubMed database was carried out, and 17 randomized sham-controlled studies investigating the effectiveness of NIBS techniques on aggression were included. Exclusion criteria included reviews, meta-analyses, and articles not referring to the subject of interest or not addressing cognitive and emotional modulation aims. CONCLUSIONS The reviewed data provide promising evidence for the beneficial effects of tDCS, conventional rTMS, and cTBS on aggression in healthy adults, forensic, and clinical samples. The specific stimulation target is a key factor for the success of stimulation on aggression modulation. rTMS and cTBS showed opposite effects on aggression compared with tDCS. However, due to the heterogeneity of stimulation protocols, experimental designs, and samples, we cannot exclude other factors that may play a confounding role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antony Casula
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Bianca M Milazzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Martino
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Clinica Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Messina, A.O.U. "G. Martino", Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sergi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Chiara Lucifora
- Dipartimento di Filosofia e Comunicazione, Università di Bologna, 40131 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Tomaiuolo
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Clinica Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Messina, A.O.U. "G. Martino", Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
- University Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and University Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Hospital OWL, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hanganu-Opatz IL, Klausberger T, Sigurdsson T, Nieder A, Jacob SN, Bartos M, Sauer JF, Durstewitz D, Leibold C, Diester I. Resolving the prefrontal mechanisms of adaptive cognitive behaviors: A cross-species perspective. Neuron 2023; 111:1020-1036. [PMID: 37023708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) enables a staggering variety of complex behaviors, such as planning actions, solving problems, and adapting to new situations according to external information and internal states. These higher-order abilities, collectively defined as adaptive cognitive behavior, require cellular ensembles that coordinate the tradeoff between the stability and flexibility of neural representations. While the mechanisms underlying the function of cellular ensembles are still unclear, recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that temporal coordination dynamically binds prefrontal neurons into functional ensembles. A so far largely separate stream of research has investigated the prefrontal efferent and afferent connectivity. These two research streams have recently converged on the hypothesis that prefrontal connectivity patterns influence ensemble formation and the function of neurons within ensembles. Here, we propose a unitary concept that, leveraging a cross-species definition of prefrontal regions, explains how prefrontal ensembles adaptively regulate and efficiently coordinate multiple processes in distinct cognitive behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Klausberger
- Center for Brain Research, Division of Cognitive Neurobiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon N Jacob
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Daniel Durstewitz
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health & Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Faculty of Biology, Bernstein Center Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ilka Diester
- Optophysiology - Optogenetics and Neurophysiology, IMBIT // BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lee TL, Lee H, Kang N. A meta-analysis showing improved cognitive performance in healthy young adults with transcranial alternating current stimulation. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:1. [PMID: 36593247 PMCID: PMC9807644 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00152-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation used for improving cognitive functions via delivering weak electrical stimulation with a certain frequency. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of tACS protocols on cognitive functions in healthy young adults. We identified 56 qualified studies that compared cognitive functions between tACS and sham control groups, as indicated by cognitive performances and cognition-related reaction time. Moderator variable analyses specified effect size according to (a) timing of tACS, (b) frequency band of simulation, (c) targeted brain region, and (b) cognitive domain, respectively. Random-effects model meta-analysis revealed small positive effects of tACS protocols on cognitive performances. The moderator variable analyses found significant effects for online-tACS with theta frequency band, online-tACS with gamma frequency band, and offline-tACS with theta frequency band. Moreover, cognitive performances were improved in online- and offline-tACS with theta frequency band on either prefrontal and posterior parietal cortical regions, and further both online- and offline-tACS with theta frequency band enhanced executive function. Online-tACS with gamma frequency band on posterior parietal cortex was effective for improving cognitive performances, and the cognitive improvements appeared in executive function and perceptual-motor function. These findings suggested that tACS protocols with specific timing and frequency band may effectively improve cognitive performances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tae Lee Lee
- Department of Human Movement Science, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
- Neuromechanical Rehabilitation Research Laboratory, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hanall Lee
- Department of Human Movement Science, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
- Neuromechanical Rehabilitation Research Laboratory, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Nyeonju Kang
- Department of Human Movement Science, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea.
- Neuromechanical Rehabilitation Research Laboratory, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea.
- Division of Sport Science & Sport Science Institute, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Maiella M, Casula EP, Borghi I, Assogna M, D’Acunto A, Pezzopane V, Mencarelli L, Rocchi L, Pellicciari MC, Koch G. Simultaneous transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation boost gamma oscillations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19391. [PMID: 36371451 PMCID: PMC9653481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23040-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural oscillations in the gamma frequency band have been identified as a fundament for synaptic plasticity dynamics and their alterations are central in various psychiatric and neurological conditions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and alternating electrical stimulation (tACS) may have a strong therapeutic potential by promoting gamma oscillations expression and plasticity. Here we applied intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), an established TMS protocol known to induce LTP-like cortical plasticity, simultaneously with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at either theta (θtACS) or gamma (γtACS) frequency on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We used TMS in combination with electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate changes in cortical activity on both left/right DLPFC and over the vertex. We found that simultaneous iTBS with γtACS but not with θtACS resulted in an enhancement of spectral gamma power, a trend in shift of individual peak frequency towards faster oscillations and an increase of local connectivity in the gamma band. Furthermore, the response to the neuromodulatory protocol, in terms of gamma oscillations and connectivity, were directly correlated with the initial level of cortical excitability. These results were specific to the DLPFC and confined locally to the site of stimulation, not being detectable in the contralateral DLPFC. We argue that the results described here could promote a new and effective method able to induce long-lasting changes in brain plasticity useful to be clinically applied to several psychiatric and neurological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Maiella
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Elias Paolo Casula
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Psychology, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Borghi
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy ,grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Ferrara, Italy
| | - Martina Assogna
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia D’Acunto
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Pezzopane
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Mencarelli
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- grid.7763.50000 0004 1755 3242Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Institute of Neurology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Pellicciari
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy ,grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Živanović M, Bjekić J, Konstantinović U, Filipović SR. Effects of online parietal transcranial electric stimulation on associative memory: a direct comparison between tDCS, theta tACS, and theta-oscillatory tDCS. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14091. [PMID: 35982223 PMCID: PMC9388571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18376-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative memory (AM) is the ability to remember and retrieve multiple items bound together. Previous studies aiming to modulate AM by various transcranial electric stimulation (tES) techniques were inconclusive, although overall suggestive that tES could be a tool for AM enhancement. However, evidence from a direct comparison between different tES techniques is lacking. Here, in a sham-controlled cross-over experiment, we comparatively assessed the effects of three types of tES—anodal tDCS, theta-band transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and theta-oscillatory tDCS (otDCS), delivered over the left posterior parietal cortex, during a short-term digit-color AM task with cued-recall. The effects were tested in 40 healthy young participants while both oscillatory tES were delivered at a previously determined individual theta frequency (4–8 Hz). All three active stimulations facilitated the overall AM performance, and no differences could be detected between them on direct comparison. However, unlike tDCS, the effects of which appeared to stem mainly from the facilitation of low-memory demand trials, both theta-modulated tACS and otDCS primarily promoted AM in high memory demand trials. Comparable yet differential effects of tDCS, theta tACS, and otDCS could be attributed to differences in their presumed modes of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marko Živanović
- Institute of Psychology & Laboratory for Research of Individual Differences, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Jovana Bjekić
- Human Neuroscience Group, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Uroš Konstantinović
- Human Neuroscience Group, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Saša R Filipović
- Human Neuroscience Group, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Senkowski D, Sobirey R, Haslacher D, Soekadar SR. Boosting working memory: Uncovering the differential effects of tDCS and tACS. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac018. [PMID: 35592391 PMCID: PMC9113288 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is essential for reasoning, decision making and problem solving. Recently, there has been an increasing effort in improving WM through non-invasive brain stimulation, especially transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation (tDCS/tACS). Studies suggest that tDCS and tACS can modulate WM performance, but large variability in research approaches hinders identification of optimal stimulation protocols and interpretation of study results. Moreover, it is unclear whether tDCS and tACS differentially affect WM. Here, we summarize and compare studies examining the effects of tDCS and tACS on WM performance in healthy adults. Following PRISMA-selection criteria, our systematic review resulted in 43 studies (29 tDCS, 11 tACS, 3 both) with a total of 1826 adult participants. For tDCS, only 4 out of 23 single-session studies reported effects on WM, while 7 out of 9 multi-session experiments showed positive effects on WM training. For tACS, 10 out of 14 studies demonstrated effects on WM, which were frequency dependent and robust for frontoparietal stimulation. Our review revealed no reliable effect of single-session tDCS on WM, but moderate effects of multi-session tDCS and single-session tACS. We discuss implications of these findings and future directions in the emerging research field of non-invasive brain stimulation and WM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Senkowski
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
| | - Rabea Sobirey
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
| | - David Haslacher
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
| | - Surjo R Soekadar
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gordon PC, Belardinelli P, Stenroos M, Ziemann U, Zrenner C. Prefrontal theta phase-dependent rTMS-induced plasticity of cortical and behavioral responses in human cortex. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:391-402. [PMID: 35182810 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prefrontal theta oscillations are involved in neuronal information transfer and retention. Phases along the theta cycle represent varied excitability states, whereby high-excitability states correspond to high-frequency neuronal activity and heightened capacity for plasticity induction, as demonstrated in animal studies. Human studies corroborate this model and suggest a core role of prefrontal theta activity in working memory (WM). OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS We aimed at modulating prefrontal neuronal excitability and WM performance in healthy humans, using real-time EEG analysis for triggering repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) theta-phase synchronized to the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. METHODS 16 subjects underwent 3 different rTMS interventions on separate days, with pulses triggered according to the individual's real-time EEG activity: 400 rTMS gamma-frequency (100 Hz) triplet bursts applied during either the negative peak of the prefrontal theta oscillation, the positive peak, or at random phase. Changes in cortical excitability were assessed with EEG responses following single-pulse TMS, and behavioral effects by using a WM task. RESULTS Negative-peak rTMS increased single-pulse TMS-induced prefrontal theta power and theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling, and decreased WM response time. In contrast, positive-peak rTMS decreased prefrontal theta power, while no changes were observed after random-phase rTMS. CONCLUSION Findings point to the feasibility of EEG-TMS technology in a theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling mode for effectively modifying WM networks in human prefrontal cortex, with potential for therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Caldana Gordon
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Paolo Belardinelli
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany; CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Matti Stenroos
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Christoph Zrenner
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany; Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|