Transcranial alternating current stimulation ameliorates emotional attention through neural oscillations modulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Brain Stimulation

Background:

• Attentional abnormalities in emotional processing are linked to conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.
• Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has shown efficacy in altering emotional functioning.
• A causal link between brain oscillations and emotional processing has been established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of tACS on emotional attention.
• To assess if tACS at individual alpha frequency (IAF) can modulate emotional processing.
• To determine the feasibility of tACS as a therapy for emotion-related disorders.

Main Methods:

• Active-tACS at individual alpha frequency (IAF) or 10 Hz, and sham-tACS were applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) for 7 days.
• 79 healthy participants were included in the study.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to measure brain activity.

Main Results:

• IAF-tACS induced significant alpha entrainment at rest, outperforming 10 Hz tACS.
• Active-tACS, particularly IAF-tACS, led to larger P200 amplitudes in event-related potentials, indicating improved attentional processing of facial emotions.
• A positive correlation between alpha power and P200 amplitude supported the role of tACS in emotional attention modulation.

Conclusions:

• IAF-tACS effectively modulates emotional attention.
• This method offers a feasible, individualized therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by emotional processing deficits and oscillatory disturbances.