Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties
Synchronization between auditory stimuli and brain rhythms is beneficial for perception. In principle, auditory perception could be improved by facilitating neural entrainment to sounds via brain stimulation. However, high inter-individual variability of brain stimulation effects questions the usefu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2024-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/87820 |
| _version_ | 1797338650647724032 |
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| author | Yuranny Cabral-Calderin Daniela van Hinsberg Axel Thielscher Molly J Henry |
| author_facet | Yuranny Cabral-Calderin Daniela van Hinsberg Axel Thielscher Molly J Henry |
| author_sort | Yuranny Cabral-Calderin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Synchronization between auditory stimuli and brain rhythms is beneficial for perception. In principle, auditory perception could be improved by facilitating neural entrainment to sounds via brain stimulation. However, high inter-individual variability of brain stimulation effects questions the usefulness of this approach. Here we aimed to modulate auditory perception by modulating neural entrainment to frequency modulated (FM) sounds using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). In addition, we evaluated the advantage of using tACS montages spatially optimized for each individual’s anatomy and functional data compared to a standard montage applied to all participants. Across two different sessions, 2 Hz tACS was applied targeting auditory brain regions. Concurrent with tACS, participants listened to FM stimuli with modulation rate matching the tACS frequency but with different phase lags relative to the tACS, and detected silent gaps embedded in the FM sound. We observed that tACS modulated the strength of behavioral entrainment to the FM sound in a phase-lag specific manner. Both the optimal tACS lag and the magnitude of the tACS effect were variable across participants and sessions. Inter-individual variability of tACS effects was best explained by the strength of the inward electric field, depending on the field focality and proximity to the target brain region. Although additional evidence is necessary, our results also provided suggestive insights that spatially optimizing the electrode montage could be a promising tool to reduce inter-individual variability of tACS effects. This work demonstrates that tACS effectively modulates entrainment to sounds depending on the optimality of the electric field. However, the lack of reliability on optimal tACS lags calls for caution when planning tACS experiments based on separate sessions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:34:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e02ac7ad3b7c40c28e83dae36d0408ae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:34:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-e02ac7ad3b7c40c28e83dae36d0408ae2024-01-30T13:48:59ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2024-01-011210.7554/eLife.87820Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field propertiesYuranny Cabral-Calderin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5497-9360Daniela van Hinsberg1Axel Thielscher2Molly J Henry3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2284-8884Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, GermanyDanish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark; Section for Magnetic Resonance, DTU Health Tech, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, DenmarkMax Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany; Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, CanadaSynchronization between auditory stimuli and brain rhythms is beneficial for perception. In principle, auditory perception could be improved by facilitating neural entrainment to sounds via brain stimulation. However, high inter-individual variability of brain stimulation effects questions the usefulness of this approach. Here we aimed to modulate auditory perception by modulating neural entrainment to frequency modulated (FM) sounds using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). In addition, we evaluated the advantage of using tACS montages spatially optimized for each individual’s anatomy and functional data compared to a standard montage applied to all participants. Across two different sessions, 2 Hz tACS was applied targeting auditory brain regions. Concurrent with tACS, participants listened to FM stimuli with modulation rate matching the tACS frequency but with different phase lags relative to the tACS, and detected silent gaps embedded in the FM sound. We observed that tACS modulated the strength of behavioral entrainment to the FM sound in a phase-lag specific manner. Both the optimal tACS lag and the magnitude of the tACS effect were variable across participants and sessions. Inter-individual variability of tACS effects was best explained by the strength of the inward electric field, depending on the field focality and proximity to the target brain region. Although additional evidence is necessary, our results also provided suggestive insights that spatially optimizing the electrode montage could be a promising tool to reduce inter-individual variability of tACS effects. This work demonstrates that tACS effectively modulates entrainment to sounds depending on the optimality of the electric field. However, the lack of reliability on optimal tACS lags calls for caution when planning tACS experiments based on separate sessions.https://elifesciences.org/articles/87820transcranial alternating current stimulationpersonalized brain stimulationelectric field simulationauditory perceptionindividual variabilityentrainment |
| spellingShingle | Yuranny Cabral-Calderin Daniela van Hinsberg Axel Thielscher Molly J Henry Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties eLife transcranial alternating current stimulation personalized brain stimulation electric field simulation auditory perception individual variability entrainment |
| title | Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| title_full | Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| title_fullStr | Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| title_short | Behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tACS depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| title_sort | behavioral entrainment to rhythmic auditory stimulation can be modulated by tacs depending on the electrical stimulation field properties |
| topic | transcranial alternating current stimulation personalized brain stimulation electric field simulation auditory perception individual variability entrainment |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/87820 |
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