Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Modulates Risky Decision Making in a Frequency-Controlled Experiment.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Neurostimulation

Background:

• Executive control and decision-making are complex cognitive functions.
• Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offers a non-invasive method to modulate brain activity.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of risky decision-making is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency-specific effects of tACS on voluntary risky decision-making.
• To examine the impact of tACS on executive control, specifically voluntary switching during decision tasks.
• To determine if tACS can modulate risky choices and cognitive control in a frequency-dependent manner.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent tACS at 5 Hz (θ), 10 Hz (α), 20 Hz (β), and 40 Hz (γ) over the left and right frontal areas.
• A modified risky decision-making task was employed, allowing voluntary selection between risky and certain options with potential gains or losses.
• Cognitive control, measured as voluntary switching, was assessed concurrently with decision-making.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in voluntary risky decision-making was observed with 20 Hz (β) tACS over the left prefrontal cortex.
• No significant effects were found for other stimulation frequencies (5 Hz, 10 Hz, 40 Hz) on risky decision-making or executive control.
• The findings suggest a specific role for beta-band activity in modulating risky choices.

Conclusions:

• Left prefrontal beta-band activity modulated by tACS is implicated in voluntary risky decision-making.
• This study highlights a frequency-specific effect of neurostimulation on decision processes.
• Results may indicate a link between risky decision-making, reward processing, and beta oscillatory activity.