Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS): from basic mechanisms towards first applications in psychiatry

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique.
• It modulates neuronal activity by delivering sinusoidal currents to the scalp.
• tACS aims to entrain brain oscillations and induce synaptic plasticity, influencing cognitive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current concepts and findings on tACS application in psychiatry.
• To explain the mechanisms of action of tACS, from cellular to network levels.
• To discuss tACS as a potential therapeutic tool for psychiatric disorders based on altered brain oscillations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search on PubMed for clinical studies using tACS in psychiatric patients.
• Review of current understanding of tACS mechanisms.
• Discussion of putative targets for tACS in managing mental disorders.

Main Results:

• Initial results suggest tACS is feasible in psychiatric populations with no serious adverse events.
• tACS demonstrated an ability to reset disturbed brain oscillations.
• Observed improvements in behavioral outcomes were linked to oscillation resetting.

Conclusions:

• tACS shows potential as a therapeutic tool in psychiatry, with initial feasibility and safety demonstrated.
• The technique can reset aberrant brain oscillations, leading to improved behavioral outcomes.
• tACS reactivity may aid in psychiatric disorder diagnosis, classification, and prognosis, warranting further research.