Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity?
Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is one of the oldest and yet least understood forms of brain stimulation. The idea that a weak electrical stimulus, applied outside the head, can meaningfully affect neural activity is often regarded as mysterious. Here, we argue that the direct effects of t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001973 |
| _version_ | 1828004533984296960 |
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| author | Matthew R Krause Pedro G Vieira Christopher C Pack |
| author_facet | Matthew R Krause Pedro G Vieira Christopher C Pack |
| author_sort | Matthew R Krause |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is one of the oldest and yet least understood forms of brain stimulation. The idea that a weak electrical stimulus, applied outside the head, can meaningfully affect neural activity is often regarded as mysterious. Here, we argue that the direct effects of tES are not so mysterious: Extensive data from a wide range of model systems shows it has appreciable effects on the activity of individual neurons. Instead, the real mysteries are how tES interacts with the brain's own activity and how these dynamics can be controlled to produce desirable therapeutic effects. These are challenging problems, akin to repairing a complex machine while it is running, but they are not unique to tES or even neuroscience. We suggest that models of coupled oscillators, a common tool for studying interactions in other fields, may provide valuable insights. By combining these tools with our growing, interdisciplinary knowledge of brain dynamics, we are now in a good position to make progress in this area and meet the high demand for effective neuromodulation in neuroscience and psychiatry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:17:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-817807e34ee34d08a0536c116831eb55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:17:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-817807e34ee34d08a0536c116831eb552023-02-25T05:30:52ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852023-01-01211e300197310.1371/journal.pbio.3001973Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity?Matthew R KrausePedro G VieiraChristopher C PackTranscranial electrical stimulation (tES) is one of the oldest and yet least understood forms of brain stimulation. The idea that a weak electrical stimulus, applied outside the head, can meaningfully affect neural activity is often regarded as mysterious. Here, we argue that the direct effects of tES are not so mysterious: Extensive data from a wide range of model systems shows it has appreciable effects on the activity of individual neurons. Instead, the real mysteries are how tES interacts with the brain's own activity and how these dynamics can be controlled to produce desirable therapeutic effects. These are challenging problems, akin to repairing a complex machine while it is running, but they are not unique to tES or even neuroscience. We suggest that models of coupled oscillators, a common tool for studying interactions in other fields, may provide valuable insights. By combining these tools with our growing, interdisciplinary knowledge of brain dynamics, we are now in a good position to make progress in this area and meet the high demand for effective neuromodulation in neuroscience and psychiatry.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001973 |
| spellingShingle | Matthew R Krause Pedro G Vieira Christopher C Pack Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? PLoS Biology |
| title | Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? |
| title_full | Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? |
| title_fullStr | Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? |
| title_short | Transcranial electrical stimulation: How can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity? |
| title_sort | transcranial electrical stimulation how can a simple conductor orchestrate complex brain activity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001973 |
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