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Yusuf PA, Hubka P, Konerding W, Land R, Tillein J, Kral A. Congenital deafness reduces alpha-gamma cross-frequency coupling in the auditory cortex. Hear Res 2024; 449:109032. [PMID: 38797035 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Neurons within a neuronal network can be grouped by bottom-up and top-down influences using synchrony in neuronal oscillations. This creates the representation of perceptual objects from sensory features. Oscillatory activity can be differentiated into stimulus-phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (induced). The former is mainly determined by sensory input, the latter by higher-level (cortical) processing. Effects of auditory deprivation on cortical oscillations have been studied in congenitally deaf cats (CDCs) using cochlear implant (CI) stimulation. CI-induced alpha, beta, and gamma activity were compromised in the auditory cortex of CDCs. Furthermore, top-down information flow between secondary and primary auditory areas in hearing cats, conveyed by induced alpha oscillations, was lost in CDCs. Here we used the matching pursuit algorithm to assess components of such oscillatory activity in local field potentials recorded in primary field A1. Additionally to the loss of induced alpha oscillations, we also found a loss of evoked theta activity in CDCs. The loss of theta and alpha activity in CDCs can be directly related to reduced high-frequency (gamma-band) activity due to cross-frequency coupling. Here we quantified such cross-frequency coupling in adult 1) hearing-experienced, acoustically stimulated cats (aHCs), 2) hearing-experienced cats following acute pharmacological deafening and subsequent CIs, thus in electrically stimulated cats (eHCs), and 3) electrically stimulated CDCs. We found significant cross-frequency coupling in all animal groups in > 70% of auditory-responsive sites. The predominant coupling in aHCs and eHCs was between theta/alpha phase and gamma power. In CDCs such coupling was lost and replaced by alpha oscillations coupling to delta/theta phase. Thus, alpha/theta oscillations synchronize high-frequency gamma activity only in hearing-experienced cats. The absence of induced alpha and theta oscillations contributes to the loss of induced gamma power in CDCs, thereby signifying impaired local network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasandhya A Yusuf
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover, Germany; Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia, Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics / Medical Technology IMERI, Jakarta, Indonesia.
| | - Peter Hubka
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover, Germany
| | - Wiebke Konerding
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Land
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jochen Tillein
- J.W. Goethe University, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrej Kral
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover, Germany; Australian Hearing Hub, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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Bressler S, Neely R, Yost RM, Wang D. A randomized controlled trial of alpha phase-locked auditory stimulation to treat symptoms of sleep onset insomnia. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13039. [PMID: 38844793 PMCID: PMC11156862 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep onset insomnia is a pervasive problem that contributes significantly to the poor health outcomes associated with insufficient sleep. Auditory stimuli phase-locked to slow-wave sleep oscillations have been shown to augment deep sleep, but it is unknown whether a similar approach can be used to accelerate sleep onset. The present randomized controlled crossover trial enrolled adults with objectively verified sleep onset latencies (SOLs) greater than 30 min to test the effect of auditory stimuli delivered at specific phases of participants' alpha oscillations prior to sleep onset. During the intervention week, participants wore an electroencephalogram (EEG)-enabled headband that delivered acoustic pulses timed to arrive anti-phase with alpha for 30 min (Stimulation). During the Sham week, the headband silently recorded EEG. The primary outcome was SOL determined by blinded scoring of EEG records. For the 21 subjects included in the analyses, stimulation had a significant effect on SOL according to a linear mixed effects model (p = 0.0019), and weekly average SOL decreased by 10.5 ± 15.9 min (29.3 ± 44.4%). These data suggest that phase-locked acoustic stimulation can be a viable alternative to pharmaceuticals to accelerate sleep onset in individuals with prolonged sleep onset latencies. Trial Registration: This trial was first registered on clinicaltrials.gov on 24/02/2023 under the name Sounds Locked to ElectroEncephalogram Phase For the Acceleration of Sleep Onset Time (SLEEPFAST), and assigned registry number NCT05743114.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Bressler
- Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
- Science and Research, Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ryan Neely
- Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Science and Research, Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Ryan M Yost
- Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
- Science and Research, Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - David Wang
- Elemind Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
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Chang M, Suzuki S, Kurose T, Ibaraki T. Pretraining alpha rhythm enhancement by neurofeedback facilitates short-term perceptual learning and improves visual acuity by facilitated consolidation. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2024; 5:1399578. [PMID: 38894852 PMCID: PMC11184131 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2024.1399578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Learning through perceptual training using the Gabor patch (GP) has attracted attention as a new vision restoration technique for myopia and age-related deterioration of visual acuity (VA). However, the task itself is monotonous and painful and requires numerous training sessions and some time before being effective, which has been a challenge for its widespread application. One effective means of facilitating perceptual learning is the empowerment of EEG alpha rhythm in the sensory cortex before neurofeedback (NF) training; however, there is a lack of evidence for VA. Methods We investigated whether four 30-min sessions of GP training, conducted over 2 weeks with/without EEG NF to increase alpha power (NF and control group, respectively), can improve vision in myopic subjects. Contrast sensitivity (CS) and VA were measured before and after each GP training. Results The NF group showed an improvement in CS at the fourth training session, not observed in the control group. In addition, VA improved only in the NF group at the third and fourth training sessions, this appears as a consolidation effect (maintenance of the previous training effect). Participants who produced stronger alpha power during the third training session showed greater VA recovery during the fourth training session. Discussion These results indicate that enhanced pretraining alpha empowerment strengthens the subsequent consolidation of perceptual learning and that even a short period of GP training can have a positive effect on VA recovery. This simple protocol may facilitate use of a training method to easily recover vision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuntaro Suzuki
- Vie, Inc., Kamakura, Japan
- NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Takuya Ibaraki
- Vie, Inc., Kamakura, Japan
- NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
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He Q, Zhu X, Fang F. Enhancing visual perceptual learning using transcranial electrical stimulation: Transcranial alternating current stimulation outperforms both transcranial direct current and random noise stimulation. J Vis 2023; 23:2. [PMID: 38054934 DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.14.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse strategies can be employed to enhance visual skills, including visual perceptual learning (VPL) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). Combining VPL and tES is a popular method that holds promise for producing significant improvements in visual acuity within a short time frame. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive evaluation regarding the effects of combining different types of tES and VPL on enhancing visual function, especially with a larger sample size. In the present study, we recruited four groups of subjects (26 subjects each) to learn an orientation discrimination task with five daily training sessions. During training, the occipital region of each subject was stimulated by one type of tES-anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 10 Hz, high-frequency random noise stimulation (tRNS), and sham tACS-while the subject performed the training task. We found that, compared with the sham stimulation, both the high-frequency tRNS and the 10-Hz tACS facilitated VPL efficiently in terms of learning rate and performance improvement, but there was little modulatory effect in the anodal tDCS condition. Remarkably, the 10-Hz tACS condition exhibited superior modulatory effects compared with the tRNS condition, demonstrating the strongest modulation among the most commonly used tES types for further enhancing vision when combined with VPL. Our results suggest that alpha oscillations play a vital role in VPL. Our study provides a practical guide for vision rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing He
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Machine Perception, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Zhu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Machine Perception, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Machine Perception, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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