Transcranial alternating current stimulation can disrupt or reestablish neural entrainment in parkinsonian motor
Harry Tran1, Biswaranjan Mohanty2, Noah Hjelle2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 55455, MN, USA.
Background:
In Parkinson's disease, motor network electrophysiology frequently exhibits excessive beta oscillations. The cornerstone of therapeutic efficacy lies in the ability to modulate these pathological oscillations. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive method that applies oscillating electric fields to modulate ongoing brain activity, offers a promising approach.
Objective:
The objective of the manuscript is to investigate the dose-dependent effects of tACS on motor network cortical neurons in a Parkinson's disease model.
Methods:
We recorded neuronal spike activity in the motor cortex in parkinsonian non-human primates during tACS to determine how stimulation-induced electric fields affect spike timing.
Results:
Strong electric fields entrained neural activity at the stimulation frequency but altered the preferred spiking phase. Conversely, weak fields disrupted beta-band synchronization by modulating spike timing and phase preference. Frequency-matched stimulation significantly enhanced entrainment when aligned with endogenous oscillatory activity.
Conclusion:
Thus, with appropriately chosen stimulation parameters, tACS exhibits significant potential for controlling and modulating pathological oscillatory patterns that are characteristic of many neurological disorders.
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