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  4. Single session cross-frequency bifocal tACS modulates visual motion network activity in young healthy population and stroke patients
 
research article

Single session cross-frequency bifocal tACS modulates visual motion network activity in young healthy population and stroke patients

Bevilacqua, Michele  
•
Feroldi, Sarah  
•
Windel, Fabienne  
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May 1, 2024
Brain Stimulation

Objective: This study investigates the impact of single-session, cross-frequency (Alpha-Gamma) bifocal transcranial alternating current stimulation (cf-tACS) to the cortical visual motion network on inter-areal coupling between the primary visual cortex (V1) and the medio-temporal area (MT) and on motion direction discrimination. Methods: Based on the well-established phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) mechanism driving information processing in the visual system, we designed a novel directionally tuned cf-tACS protocol. Directionality of information flow was inferred from the area receiving low-frequency tACS (e.g., V1) projecting onto the area receiving high-frequency tACS (e.g., MT), in this case, promoting bottom-up information flow (Forward-tACS). The control condition promoted the opposite top-down connection (from MT to V1, called Backward-tACS), both compared to a Sham-tACS condition. Task performance and EEG activity were recorded from 45 young healthy subjects. An additional cohort of 16 stroke patients with occipital lesions and impairing visual processing was measured to assess the influence of a V1 lesion on the modulation of V1-MT coupling. Results: The results indicate that Forward cf-tACS successfully modulated bottom-up PAC (V1 α-phase-MT ɣ-amplitude) in both cohorts, while producing opposite effects on the reverse MT-to-V1 connection. Backward-tACS did not change V1-MT PAC in either direction in healthy participants but induced a slight decrease in bottom-up PAC in stroke patients. However, these changes in inter-areal coupling did not translate into cf-tACS-specific behavioural improvements. Conclusions: Single session cf-tACS can alter inter-areal coupling in intact and lesioned brains but is probably not enough to induce longer-lasting behavioural effects in these cohorts. This might suggest that a longer daily visual training protocol paired with tACS is needed to unveil the relationship between externally applied oscillatory activity and behaviourally relevant brain processing.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1016/j.brs.2024.05.007
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85193595131

PubMed ID

38763414

Author(s)
Bevilacqua, Michele  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Feroldi, Sarah  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Windel, Fabienne  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Menoud, Pauline  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Salamanca-Giron, Roberto F.  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Zandvliet, Sarah B.  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Fleury, Lisa  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Hummel, Friedhelm C.  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Raffin, Estelle  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Date Issued

2024-05-01

Published in
Brain Stimulation
Volume

17

Issue

3

Start page

660

End page

667

Subjects

Bifocal transcranial alternating current stimulation

•

Cross-frequency interactions

•

Motion direction discrimination

•

Phase-amplitude coupling

•

Visual stroke

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
UPHUMMEL  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

Defitech Foundation

FCH & ER

Bertarelli Foundation

BC77O7

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Available on Infoscience
January 16, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/243015
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