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Simultaneous Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: June 5, 2017
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tACS facilitates flickering driving by boosting steady-state visual evoked potentials
Bingchuan Liu1, Xinyi Yan1, Xiaogang Chen2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Journal of Neural Engineering
|December 28, 2021
Summary
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) enhanced visual brain rhythms. This noninvasive technique boosted steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) for up to 5 minutes, showing potential for altering brain states.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Brain Stimulation
Background:
- Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is gaining interest for modulating brain states.
- Its application in the visual domain, particularly its interplay with visual stimulation, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the aftereffect of tACS on visual processing using steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP).
- To characterize the temporal and spatial properties of the tACS aftereffect.
Main Methods:
- Healthy subjects received 20 minutes of 10Hz tACS or sham stimulation.
- 64-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded before and after stimulation during SSVEP tasks.
- Analysis focused on temporal, spatial, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) patterns.
Main Results:
- tACS significantly boosted the 10Hz SSVEP.
- The aftereffect of tACS on SSVEP diminished over time, lasting up to 5 minutes.
- Comparisons between real and sham tACS revealed significant physiological differences.
Conclusions:
- External rhythmic stimulation via tACS can facilitate visual processing.
- This study demonstrates a novel noninvasive approach to modulate brain states in the visual domain.
