Changes of WM network activity following HD-tACS revealed by simultaneous measurement of fMRI
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Abstract
Healthy subjects are stimulated with high density transcranial alternating current stimulation with a frequency of 5 Hz (theta frequency range) and a stimulation current of 1.5 mA targeting the left DLPFC. Behavioural measures and BOLD response changes compared to a sham condition following a delayed-match-to-sample (DMTS) task comprising the presentation of abstract, non-natural visual stimuli are measured.
We find higher BOLD responses under a tACS compared to a sham stimulation during the encoding phase in frontal areas of the WM network. However, activation patterns following a stimulation differ across subjects.
To our knowledge, this is the first study applying HD-tACS simultaneously with fMRI during a working memory task. Transcranial alternating current stimulation combined with simultaneous fMRI seems feasible also with high-density setups. This method provides a promising tool to investigate changes of neural activity during more focal HD-tACS. Different activation patterns suggest that future studies might benefit from more advanced protocols with individual stimulation models.
Bibliographical data
Original language | German |
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ISSN | 1935-861X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |