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Transcranial alternating current stimulation entrains alpha oscillations by preferential phase synchronization of fast-spiking cortical neurons to stimulation waveform.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Huang, WA; Stitt, IM; Negahbani, E; Passey, DJ; Ahn, S; Davey, M; Dannhauer, M; Doan, TT; Hoover, AC; Peterchev, AV; Radtke-Schuller, S; Fröhlich, F
Published in: Nat Commun
May 25, 2021

Computational modeling and human studies suggest that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) modulates alpha oscillations by entrainment. Yet, a direct examination of how tACS interacts with neuronal spiking activity that gives rise to the alpha oscillation in the thalamo-cortical system has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate how tACS entrains endogenous alpha oscillations in head-fixed awake ferrets. We first show that endogenous alpha oscillations in the posterior parietal cortex drive the primary visual cortex and the higher-order visual thalamus. Spike-field coherence is largest for the alpha frequency band, and presumed fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons exhibit strongest coupling to this oscillation. We then apply alpha-tACS that results in a field strength comparable to what is commonly used in humans (<0.5 mV/mm). Both in these ferret experiments and in a computational model of the thalamo-cortical system, tACS entrains alpha oscillations by following the theoretically predicted Arnold tongue. Intriguingly, the fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons exhibit a stronger entrainment response to tACS in both the ferret experiments and the computational model, likely due to their stronger endogenous coupling to the alpha oscillation. Our findings demonstrate the in vivo mechanism of action for the modulation of the alpha oscillation by tACS.

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Published In

Nat Commun

DOI

EISSN

2041-1723

Publication Date

May 25, 2021

Volume

12

Issue

1

Start / End Page

3151

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Cortex
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Thalamus
  • Optogenetics
  • Nerve Net
  • Models, Neurological
  • Models, Animal
  • Microelectrodes
  • Male
 

Citation

APA
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Huang, W. A., Stitt, I. M., Negahbani, E., Passey, D. J., Ahn, S., Davey, M., … Fröhlich, F. (2021). Transcranial alternating current stimulation entrains alpha oscillations by preferential phase synchronization of fast-spiking cortical neurons to stimulation waveform. Nat Commun, 12(1), 3151. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23021-2
Huang, Wei A., Iain M. Stitt, Ehsan Negahbani, D. J. Passey, Sangtae Ahn, Marshall Davey, Moritz Dannhauer, et al. “Transcranial alternating current stimulation entrains alpha oscillations by preferential phase synchronization of fast-spiking cortical neurons to stimulation waveform.Nat Commun 12, no. 1 (May 25, 2021): 3151. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23021-2.
Huang, Wei A., et al. “Transcranial alternating current stimulation entrains alpha oscillations by preferential phase synchronization of fast-spiking cortical neurons to stimulation waveform.Nat Commun, vol. 12, no. 1, May 2021, p. 3151. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23021-2.
Huang WA, Stitt IM, Negahbani E, Passey DJ, Ahn S, Davey M, Dannhauer M, Doan TT, Hoover AC, Peterchev AV, Radtke-Schuller S, Fröhlich F. Transcranial alternating current stimulation entrains alpha oscillations by preferential phase synchronization of fast-spiking cortical neurons to stimulation waveform. Nat Commun. 2021 May 25;12(1):3151.

Published In

Nat Commun

DOI

EISSN

2041-1723

Publication Date

May 25, 2021

Volume

12

Issue

1

Start / End Page

3151

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Cortex
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Thalamus
  • Optogenetics
  • Nerve Net
  • Models, Neurological
  • Models, Animal
  • Microelectrodes
  • Male