Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis
Verbal working memory is supported by a left-lateralized frontoparietal theta oscillatory (4–8 Hz) network. We tested whether stimulating the left frontoparietal network at theta frequency during verbal working memory can produce observable after-stimulation effects in behavior and neurophysiology....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | IBRO Neuroscience Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667242122000860 |
| _version_ | 1811293298182062080 |
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| author | Zhenhong Hu Immanuel B.H. Samuel Sreenivasan Meyyappan Ke Bo Chandni Rana Mingzhou Ding |
| author_facet | Zhenhong Hu Immanuel B.H. Samuel Sreenivasan Meyyappan Ke Bo Chandni Rana Mingzhou Ding |
| author_sort | Zhenhong Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Verbal working memory is supported by a left-lateralized frontoparietal theta oscillatory (4–8 Hz) network. We tested whether stimulating the left frontoparietal network at theta frequency during verbal working memory can produce observable after-stimulation effects in behavior and neurophysiology. Weak theta-band alternating electric currents were delivered via two 4 × 1 HD electrode arrays centered at F3 and P3. Three stimulation configurations, including in-phase, anti-phase, or sham, were tested on three different days in a cross-over (within-subject) design. On each test day, the subject underwent three experimental sessions: pre-, during- and post-stimulation sessions. In all sessions, the subject performed a Sternberg verbal working memory task with three levels of memory load (load 2, 4 and 6), imposing three levels of cognitive demand. Analyzing behavioral and EEG data from the post-stimulation session, we report two main observations. First, in-phase stimulation improved task performance in subjects with higher working memory capacity (WMC) under higher memory load (load 6). Second, in-phase stimulation enhanced frontoparietal theta synchrony during working memory retention in subjects with higher WMC under higher memory loads (load 4 and load 6), and the enhanced frontoparietal theta synchronization is mainly driven by enhanced frontal→parietal theta Granger causality. These observations suggest that (1) in-phase theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) during verbal working memory can result in observable behavioral and neurophysiological consequences post stimulation, (2) the short-term plasticity effects are state- and individual-dependent, and (3) enhanced executive control underlies improved behavioral performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:59:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2d184d16e5e444db2a20e349bf6996b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-2421 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:59:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IBRO Neuroscience Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2d184d16e5e444db2a20e349bf6996b2022-12-22T03:01:23ZengElsevierIBRO Neuroscience Reports2667-24212022-12-0113469477Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysisZhenhong Hu0Immanuel B.H. Samuel1Sreenivasan Meyyappan2Ke Bo3Chandni Rana4Mingzhou Ding5J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAJ. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAJ. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAJ. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAJ. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USACorresponding author.; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAVerbal working memory is supported by a left-lateralized frontoparietal theta oscillatory (4–8 Hz) network. We tested whether stimulating the left frontoparietal network at theta frequency during verbal working memory can produce observable after-stimulation effects in behavior and neurophysiology. Weak theta-band alternating electric currents were delivered via two 4 × 1 HD electrode arrays centered at F3 and P3. Three stimulation configurations, including in-phase, anti-phase, or sham, were tested on three different days in a cross-over (within-subject) design. On each test day, the subject underwent three experimental sessions: pre-, during- and post-stimulation sessions. In all sessions, the subject performed a Sternberg verbal working memory task with three levels of memory load (load 2, 4 and 6), imposing three levels of cognitive demand. Analyzing behavioral and EEG data from the post-stimulation session, we report two main observations. First, in-phase stimulation improved task performance in subjects with higher working memory capacity (WMC) under higher memory load (load 6). Second, in-phase stimulation enhanced frontoparietal theta synchrony during working memory retention in subjects with higher WMC under higher memory loads (load 4 and load 6), and the enhanced frontoparietal theta synchronization is mainly driven by enhanced frontal→parietal theta Granger causality. These observations suggest that (1) in-phase theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) during verbal working memory can result in observable behavioral and neurophysiological consequences post stimulation, (2) the short-term plasticity effects are state- and individual-dependent, and (3) enhanced executive control underlies improved behavioral performance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667242122000860tACSFrontoparietal networkWorking memory capacityTheta oscillationsState dependentIndividual difference |
| spellingShingle | Zhenhong Hu Immanuel B.H. Samuel Sreenivasan Meyyappan Ke Bo Chandni Rana Mingzhou Ding Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis IBRO Neuroscience Reports tACS Frontoparietal network Working memory capacity Theta oscillations State dependent Individual difference |
| title | Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| title_full | Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| title_fullStr | Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| title_short | Aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tACS on verbal working memory: Behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| title_sort | aftereffects of frontoparietal theta tacs on verbal working memory behavioral and neurophysiological analysis |
| topic | tACS Frontoparietal network Working memory capacity Theta oscillations State dependent Individual difference |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667242122000860 |
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