TY - JOUR
T1 - No aftereffects of high current density 10 Hz and 20 Hz tACS on sensorimotor alpha and beta oscillations
AU - Lafleur, Louis Philippe
AU - Murray, Audrey
AU - Desforges, Manon
AU - Pacheco-Barrios, Kevin
AU - Fregni, Felipe
AU - Tremblay, Sara
AU - Saint-Amour, Dave
AU - Lepage, Jean François
AU - Théoret, Hugo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118456352&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d53bb546-93f8-310c-a5ad-818e10c47441/
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-00850-1
DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-00850-1
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85118456352
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 11
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 21416
ER -