Theta Band Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Enhances Arithmetic Learning: A Systematic Comparison of Different Direct and Alternating Current Stimulations

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.10.006
• Publication Date: 2021-10-12T07:11:02Z
• Authors: Jochen A. Mosbacher; Stefan Halverscheid; Kolja Pustelnik; Martina Danner; Christina Prassl; Clemens Brunner; Stephan E. Vogel; Michael A. Nitsche; Roland H. Grabner
• Keywords: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; Neurophysiology

Over the last decades, interest in transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has grown, as it might allow for causal investigations of associations between cortical activity and cognition well to directly influence cognitive performance. The main objectives present work were assess whether tES can enhance acquisition application arithmetic abilities, enables a better assessment underlying neurophysiological processes. To this end, present, double-blind, sham-controlled study assessed effects six active stimulations (three protocols: anodal direct current (tDCS), alpha band alternating (tACS), theta tACS; targeting left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or posterior parietal cortex) on an procedure, facts, event-related synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD) patterns. 137 healthy adults randomly assigned one seven groups, each receiving tES-protocols during learning. Results showed that frontal tACS reduced repetitions needed learn novel facts both, accelerated decrease calculation times fact learning problems. beneficial effect may reflect enhanced executive functions, allowing control inhibition processes hence, faster integration knowledge. However, there no significant procedural ERS/ERD Overall, appears promising support training, but calculations remain ambiguous.