1
|
O'Hare L, Tarasi L, Asher JM, Hibbard PB, Romei V. Excitation-Inhibition Imbalance in Migraine: From Neurotransmitters to Brain Oscillations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10093. [PMID: 37373244 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210093] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Migraine is among the most common and debilitating neurological disorders typically affecting people of working age. It is characterised by a unilateral, pulsating headache often associated with severe pain. Despite the intensive research, there is still little understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine. At the electrophysiological level, altered oscillatory parameters have been reported within the alpha and gamma bands. At the molecular level, altered glutamate and GABA concentrations have been reported. However, there has been little cross-talk between these lines of research. Thus, the relationship between oscillatory activity and neurotransmitter concentrations remains to be empirically traced. Importantly, how these indices link back to altered sensory processing has to be clearly established as yet. Accordingly, pharmacologic treatments have been mostly symptom-based, and yet sometimes proving ineffective in resolving pain or related issues. This review provides an integrative theoretical framework of excitation-inhibition imbalance for the understanding of current evidence and to address outstanding questions concerning the pathophysiology of migraine. We propose the use of computational modelling for the rigorous formulation of testable hypotheses on mechanisms of homeostatic imbalance and for the development of mechanism-based pharmacological treatments and neurostimulation interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise O'Hare
- Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Luca Tarasi
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Jordi M Asher
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Paul B Hibbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Facultad de Lenguas y Educación, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, 28015 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Grover S, Fayzullina R, Bullard BM, Levina V, Reinhart RMG. A meta-analysis suggests that tACS improves cognition in healthy, aging, and psychiatric populations. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabo2044. [PMID: 37224229 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo2044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has attracted interest as a technique for causal investigations into how rhythmic fluctuations in brain neural activity influence cognition and for promoting cognitive rehabilitation. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of tACS on cognitive function across 102 published studies, which included 2893 individuals in healthy, aging, and neuropsychiatric populations. A total of 304 effects were extracted from these 102 studies. We found modest to moderate improvements in cognitive function with tACS treatment that were evident in several cognitive domains, including working memory, long-term memory, attention, executive control, and fluid intelligence. Improvements in cognitive function were generally stronger after completion of tACS ("offline" effects) than during tACS treatment ("online" effects). Improvements in cognitive function were greater in studies that used current flow models to optimize or confirm neuromodulation targets by stimulating electric fields generated in the brain by tACS protocols. In studies targeting multiple brain regions concurrently, cognitive function changed bidirectionally (improved or decreased) according to the relative phase, or alignment, of the alternating current in the two brain regions (in phase versus antiphase). We also noted improvements in cognitive function separately in older adults and in individuals with neuropsychiatric illnesses. Overall, our findings contribute to the debate surrounding the effectiveness of tACS for cognitive rehabilitation, quantitatively demonstrate its potential, and indicate further directions for optimal tACS clinical study design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shrey Grover
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Renata Fayzullina
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Breanna M Bullard
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Victoria Levina
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert M G Reinhart
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Research in Sensory Communication and Emerging Neural Technology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen X, Ma R, Zhang W, Zeng GQ, Wu Q, Yimiti A, Xia X, Cui J, Liu Q, Meng X, Bu J, Chen Q, Pan Y, Yu NX, Wang S, Deng ZD, Sack AT, Laughlin MM, Zhang X. Alpha oscillatory activity is causally linked to working memory retention. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001999. [PMID: 36780560 PMCID: PMC9983870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have reported correlations between alpha oscillations and the "retention" subprocess of working memory (WM), causal evidence has been limited in human neuroscience due to the lack of delicate modulation of human brain oscillations. Conventional transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is not suitable for demonstrating the causal evidence for parietal alpha oscillations in WM retention because of its inability to modulate brain oscillations within a short period (i.e., the retention subprocess). Here, we developed an online phase-corrected tACS system capable of precisely correcting for the phase differences between tACS and concurrent endogenous oscillations. This system permits the modulation of brain oscillations at the target stimulation frequency within a short stimulation period and is here applied to empirically demonstrate that parietal alpha oscillations causally relate to WM retention. Our experimental design included both in-phase and anti-phase alpha-tACS applied to participants during the retention subprocess of a modified Sternberg paradigm. Compared to in-phase alpha-tACS, anti-phase alpha-tACS decreased both WM performance and alpha activity. These findings strongly support a causal link between alpha oscillations and WM retention and illustrate the broad application prospects of phase-corrected tACS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Chen
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ru Ma
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ginger Qinghong Zeng
- Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qianying Wu
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Ajiguli Yimiti
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xinzhao Xia
- Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jiangtian Cui
- Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Qiongwei Liu
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xueer Meng
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Junjie Bu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qi Chen
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nancy Xiaonan Yu
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shouyan Wang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Myles Mc Laughlin
- Exp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Science, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu L, Cao T, Li S, Yuan Y, Zhang W, Huang L, Cai C, Fan L, Li L, Wang J, Liu T, Wang J. Long-term gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation improves the memory function of mice with Alzheimer’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:980636. [PMID: 36185476 PMCID: PMC9520626 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.980636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The main manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in patients and animal models is impaired memory function, characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition and impairment of gamma oscillations that play an important role in perception and cognitive function. The therapeutic effect of gamma band stimulation in AD mouse models has been reported recently. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an emerging non-invasive intervention method, but at present, researchers have not completely understood the intervention effect of tACS. Thus, the intervention mechanism of tACS has not been fully elucidated, and the course of treatment in clinical selection also lacks theoretical support. Based on this issue, we investigated the effect of gamma frequency (40 Hz) tACS at different durations in a mouse model of AD. Materials and methods We placed stimulating electrodes on the skull surface of APP/PS1 and wild-type control mice (n = 30 and n = 5, respectively). Among them, 20 APP/PS1 mice were divided into 4 groups to receive 20 min 40 Hz tACS every day for 1–4 weeks. The other 10 APP/PS1 mice were equally divided into two groups to receive sham treatment and no treatment. No intervention was performed in the wild-type control mice. The short-term memory function of the mice was examined by the Y maze. Aβ levels and microglia in the hippocampus were measured by immunofluorescence. Spontaneous electroencephalogram gamma power was calculated by the average period method, and brain connectivity was examined by cross-frequency coupling. Results We found that the long-term treatment groups (21 and 28 days) had decreased hippocampal Aβ levels, increased electroencephalogram spontaneous gamma power, and ultimately improved short-term memory function. The treatment effect of the short-term treatment group (7 days) was not significant. Moreover, the treatment effect of the 14-day treatment group was weaker than that of the 21-day treatment group. Conclusion These results suggest that long-term gamma-frequency tACS is more effective in treating AD by reducing Aβ load and improving gamma oscillation than short-term gamma-frequency tACS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linyan Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiantian Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sinan Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenlong Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liming Fan
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Long Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingyun Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tian Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Tian Liu,
| | - Jue Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Health Care and Medical Devices, Guangzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Neuro-informatics & Rehabilitation Engineering of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Xi’an, China
- Jue Wang,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Steinmann I, Williams KA, Wilke M, Antal A. Detection of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Aftereffects Is Improved by Considering the Individual Electric Field Strength and Self-Rated Sleepiness. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:870758. [PMID: 35833087 PMCID: PMC9272587 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.870758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive electrical stimulation methods, such as transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), are increasingly used in human neuroscience research and offer potential new avenues to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, their often variable effects have also raised concerns in the scientific and clinical communities. This study aims to investigate the influence of subject-specific factors on the alpha tACS-induced aftereffect on the alpha amplitude (measured with electroencephalography, EEG) as well as on the connectivity strength between nodes of the default mode network (DMN) [measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)]. As subject-specific factors we considered the individual electrical field (EFIELD) strength at target regions in the brain, the frequency mismatch between applied stimulation and individual alpha frequency (IAF) and as a covariate, subject’s changes in mental state, i.e., sleepiness. Eighteen subjects participated in a tACS and a sham session conducted on different days. Each session consisted of three runs (pre/stimulation/). tACS was applied during the second run at each subject’s individual alpha frequency (IAF), applying 1 mA peak-to-peak intensity for 7 min, using an occipital bihemispheric montage. In every run, subjects watched a video designed to increase in-scanner compliance. To investigate the aftereffect of tACS on EEG alpha amplitude and on DMN connectivity strength, EEG data were recorded simultaneously with fMRI data. Self-rated sleepiness was documented using a questionnaire. Conventional statistics (ANOVA) did not show a significant aftereffect of tACS on the alpha amplitude compared to sham stimulation. Including individual EFIELD strengths and self-rated sleepiness scores in a multiple linear regression model, significant tACS-induced aftereffects were observed. However, the subject-wise mismatch between tACS frequency and IAF had no contribution to our model. Neither standard nor extended statistical methods confirmed a tACS-induced aftereffect on DMN functional connectivity. Our results show that it is possible and necessary to disentangle alpha amplitude changes due to intrinsic mechanisms and to external manipulation using tACS on the alpha amplitude that might otherwise be overlooked. Our results suggest that EFIELD is really the most significant factor that explains the alpha amplitude modulation during a tACS session. This knowledge helps to understand the variability of the tACS-induced aftereffects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Steinmann
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Iris Steinmann,
| | - Kathleen A. Williams
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Antal
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Andrea Antal,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
|
7
|
Mc Laughlin M, Khatoun A, Asamoah B. Detection of tACS Entrainment Critically Depends on Epoch Length. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:806556. [PMID: 35360495 PMCID: PMC8963722 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.806556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural entrainment is the phase synchronization of a population of neurons to an external rhythmic stimulus such as applied in the context of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). tACS can cause profound effects on human behavior. However, there remain a significant number of studies that find no behavioral effect when tACS is applied to human subjects. To investigate this discrepancy, we applied time sensitive phase lock value (PLV) based analysis to single unit data from the rat motor cortex. The analysis revealed that detection of neural entrainment depends critically on the epoch length within which spiking information is accumulated. Increasing the epoch length allowed for detection of progressively weaker levels of neural entrainment. Based on this single unit analysis, we hypothesized that tACS effects on human behavior would be more easily detected in a behavior paradigm which utilizes longer epoch lengths. We tested this by using tACS to entrain tremor in patients and healthy volunteers. When the behavioral data were analyzed using short duration epochs tremor entrainment effects were not detectable. However, as the epoch length was progressively increased, weak tremor entrainment became detectable. These results suggest that tACS behavioral paradigms that rely on the accumulation of information over long epoch lengths will tend to be successful at detecting behavior effects. However, tACS paradigms that rely on short epoch lengths are less likely to detect effects.
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu B, Yan X, Chen X, Wang Y, Gao X. tACS facilitates flickering driving by boosting steady-state visual evoked potentials. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34962233 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac3ef3] [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: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective.There has become of increasing interest in transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) since its inception nearly a decade ago. tACS in modulating brain state is an active area of research and has been demonstrated effective in various neuropsychological and clinical domains. In the visual domain, much effort has been dedicated to brain rhythms and rhythmic stimulation, i.e. tACS. However, less is known about the interplay between the rhythmic stimulation and visual stimulation.Approach.Here, we used steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP), induced by flickering driving as a widely used technique for frequency-tagging, to investigate the aftereffect of tACS in healthy human subjects. Seven blocks of 64-channel electroencephalogram were recorded before and after the administration of 20min 10Hz tACS, while subjects performed several blocks of SSVEP tasks. We characterized the physiological properties of tACS aftereffect by comparing and validating the temporal, spatial, spatiotemporal and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) patterns between and within blocks in real tACS and sham tACS.Main results.Our result revealed that tACS boosted the 10Hz SSVEP significantly. Besides, the aftereffect on SSVEP was mitigated with time and lasted up to 5 min.Significance.Our results demonstrate the feasibility of facilitating the flickering driving by external rhythmic stimulation and open a new possibility to alter the brain state in a direction by noninvasive transcranial brain stimulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bingchuan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyi Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yijun Wang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaorong Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chan D, Suk HJ, Jackson B, Milman NP, Stark D, Beach SD, Tsai LH. Induction of specific brain oscillations may restore neural circuits and be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. J Intern Med 2021; 290:993-1009. [PMID: 34156133 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Brain oscillations underlie the function of our brains, dictating how we both think and react to the world around us. The synchronous activity of neurons generates these rhythms, which allow different parts of the brain to communicate and orchestrate responses to internal and external stimuli. Perturbations of cognitive rhythms and the underlying oscillator neurons that synchronize different parts of the brain contribute to the pathophysiology of diseases including Alzheimer's disease, (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), epilepsy and other diseases of rhythm that have been studied extensively by Gyorgy Buzsaki. In this review, we discuss how neurologists manipulate brain oscillations with neuromodulation to treat diseases and how this can be leveraged to improve cognition and pathology underlying AD. While multiple modalities of neuromodulation are currently clinically indicated for some disorders, nothing is yet approved for improving memory in AD. Recent investigations into novel methods of neuromodulation show potential for improving cognition in memory disorders. Here, we demonstrate that neuronal stimulation using audiovisual sensory stimulation that generated 40-HZ gamma waves reduced AD-specific pathology and improved performance in behavioural tests in mouse models of AD, making this new mode of neuromodulation a promising new avenue for developing a new therapeutic intervention for the treatment of dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Chan
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - H-J Suk
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - B Jackson
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - N P Milman
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D Stark
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - S D Beach
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L-H Tsai
- From the, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
No aftereffects of high current density 10 Hz and 20 Hz tACS on sensorimotor alpha and beta oscillations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21416. [PMID: 34725379 PMCID: PMC8560917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00850-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Application of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is thought to modulate ongoing brain oscillations in a frequency-dependent manner. However, recent studies report various and sometimes inconsistent results regarding its capacity to induce changes in cortical activity beyond the stimulation period. Here, thirty healthy volunteers participated in a randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled, double-blind study using EEG to measure the offline effects of tACS on alpha and beta power. Sham and high current density tACS (1 mA; 10 Hz and 20 Hz; 0.32 mA/cm2) were applied for 20 min over bilateral sensorimotor areas and EEG was recorded at rest before and after stimulation for 20 min. Bilateral tACS was not associated with significant changes in local alpha and beta power frequencies at stimulation sites (C3 and C4 electrodes). Overall, the present results fail to provide evidence that bilateral tACS with high current density applied over sensorimotor regions at 10 and 20 Hz reliably modulates offline brain oscillation power at the stimulation site. These results may have implications for the design and implementation of future protocols aiming to induce sustained changes in brain activity, including in clinical populations.
Collapse
|
11
|
Riddle J, Frohlich F. Targeting neural oscillations with transcranial alternating current stimulation. Brain Res 2021; 1765:147491. [PMID: 33887251 PMCID: PMC8206031 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neural oscillations at the network level synchronize activity between regions and temporal scales. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), the delivery of low-amplitude electric current to the scalp, provides a tool for investigating the causal role of neural oscillations in cognition. The parameter space for tACS is vast and optimization is required in terms of temporal and spatial targeting. We review emerging techniques and suggest novel approaches that capitalize on the non-sinusoidal and transient nature of neural oscillations and leverage the flexibility provided by a customizable electrode montage and electrical waveform. The customizability and safety profile of tACS make it a promising tool for precision intervention in psychiatric illnesses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin Riddle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Flavio Frohlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Coldea A, Morand S, Veniero D, Harvey M, Thut G. Parietal alpha tACS shows inconsistent effects on visuospatial attention. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255424. [PMID: 34351972 PMCID: PMC8341497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a popular technique that has been used for manipulating brain oscillations and inferring causality regarding the brain-behaviour relationship. Although it is a promising tool, the variability of tACS results has raised questions regarding the robustness and reproducibility of its effects. Building on recent research using tACS to modulate visuospatial attention, we here attempted to replicate findings of lateralized parietal tACS at alpha frequency to induce a change in attention bias away from the contra- towards the ipsilateral visual hemifield. 40 healthy participants underwent tACS in two separate sessions where either 10 Hz tACS or sham was applied via a high-density montage over the left parietal cortex at 1.5 mA for 20 min, while performance was assessed in an endogenous attention task. Task and tACS parameters were chosen to match those of previous studies reporting positive effects. Unlike these studies, we did not observe lateralized parietal alpha tACS to affect attention deployment or visual processing across the hemifields as compared to sham. Likewise, additional resting electroencephalography immediately offline to tACS did not reveal any notable effects on individual alpha power or frequency. Our study emphasizes the need for more replication studies and systematic investigations of the factors that drive tACS effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andra Coldea
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Morand
- School of Life Sciences, MVLS College, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Domenica Veniero
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Harvey
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gregor Thut
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Guarnieri R, Brancucci A, D’Anselmo A, Manippa V, Swinnen SP, Tecchio F, Mantini D. A computationally efficient method for the attenuation of alternating current stimulation artifacts in electroencephalographic recordings. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:046038. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aba99d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
14
|
Kazemi R, Rostami R, Dehghan S, Nasiri Z, Lotfollahzadeh S, L Hadipour A, Khomami S, Ishii R, Ikeda S. Alpha frequency rTMS modulates theta lagged nonlinear connectivity in dorsal attention network. Brain Res Bull 2020; 162:271-281. [PMID: 32619694 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a key structure in dorsal attention network (DAN) that facilitates sustained attention by modulating activity in task related and unrelated regions of the brain. Alpha and theta frequency bands enhance connectivity among different parts of the attention network and these connections are facilitated by long-range nonlinear connectivity in theta and alpha frequency bands. This study is an investigation of the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of alpha and theta frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over RDLPFC. 20 healthy participants were randomly assigned to two groups of theta (n = 11, f = 6 Hz) and alpha (n = 9, f = 10 Hz) rTMS. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded before and after each session while resting and performing tasks. Current source density (CSD) and functional connectivity (FC) in DAN and default mode network (DMN) and their correlations with rapid visual information processing task (RVIP) scores were calculated . Alpha frequency rTMS resulted in significant changes in RVIP scores. Active theta rTMS caused an increase in CSD in Postcentral gyrus and active alpha rTMS resulted in significant CSD changes in inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Theta lagged nonlinear connectivity was mudulated by alpha rTMSand FC changes were observed in DAN and DMN. Positive correlations were observed between DAN regions and RVIP scores in the alpha rTMS group. Increased activity in theta frequency band in left aPFC and left DLPFC correlated positively with higher total hits in RVIP. This study showed for the first time that theta and alpha frequency rTMS are able to modulate FC in DAN and DMN in a way that results in better performance in a sustained attention task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reza Kazemi
- Cognitive Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Atieh Clinical Neuroscience Center, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Rostami
- Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Zahra Nasiri
- Atieh Clinical Neuroscience Center, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Abed L Hadipour
- Atieh Clinical Neuroscience Center, Tehran, Iran; Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ryouhei Ishii
- Smart Rehabilitation Research Center, Osaka Prefecture University, Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Habikino, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shunichiro Ikeda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Transcranial alternating current stimulation of α but not β frequency sharpens multiple visual functions. Brain Stimul 2019; 13:343-352. [PMID: 31711878 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can entrain and enhance cortical oscillatory activity in a frequency-dependent manner. In our previous study (Nakazono et al., 2016), 20 Hz (β) tACS significantly increased excitability of primary motor cortex compared with 10 Hz (α) tACS. α oscillations are a prominent feature of the primary visual cortex (V1) in a resting electroencephalogram. Hence, we investigated whether α and β tACS can differentially influence multiple visual functions. METHODS Firstly, we evaluated the after-effects of α and β tACS on pattern-reversal (PR) and focal-flash (FF) visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Secondly, we determined the relationship between resting α oscillations and PR-VEPs modulated by tACS. Thirdly, the behavioral effects of tACS were assessed by contrast sensitivity. RESULTS α tACS modulated the amplitudes of PR-VEPs, compared with β tACS, but did not modulate the FF-VEPs. Time-frequency analysis revealed that α tACS facilitated event-related α phase synchronizations without increasing power, which consequently increased the PR-VEP amplitudes. There was a significant positive correlation between PR-VEP amplitudes and resting α oscillations. These findings suggested that α tACS modulated α oscillations, and affected visual functions of contrast and spatial frequency. Indeed, α tACS also improved subjects' contrast sensitivity at the behavioral level. Conversely, β tACS increased posterior α activity, but did not change VEP amplitudes. CONCLUSIONS α tACS can influence different neuronal populations from those influenced by β tACS. Thus, our results provide evidence that α tACS sharpens multiple visual functions by modulating α oscillations in V1.
Collapse
|