Gabriel Amador de Lara1, Ivan Alekseichuk2, Zsolt Turi2, Albert Lehr2, Andrea Antal2, Walter Paulus2. 1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: gabriel.delara@med.uni-goettingen.de. 2. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling (PAC) is characterized by the modulation of the power of a fast brain oscillation (e.g., gamma) by the phase of a slow rhythm (e.g., theta). PAC in different sub- and neocortical regions is known to underlie effective neural communication and correlates with successful long-term memory formation. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The present work aims to extend earlier observational data, by probing the functional role of theta-gamma PAC in the left temporal cortex in humans during verbal long-term memory encoding. METHODS: In three double-blinded, placebo-controlled experiments (n = 72), we employed cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to externally modulate ongoing PAC during a verbal-associative learning task. Three types of cross-frequency tACS protocols were used: bursts of high gamma tACS were coupled to the peak or trough of the theta tACS cycle, and a control condition where gamma tACS was continuously superimposed at theta tACS cycles. RESULTS: Gamma bursts coupled to the trough of theta tACS induced robust behavioral impairment in memory performance (p < .01), whereas gamma burst coupled to the peak or continuously superimposed with theta tACS had no significant behavioral effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate direct evidence regarding the importance of theta-gamma coupling in verbal long-term memory formation.
BACKGROUND: Phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling (PAC) is characterized by the modulation of the power of a fast brain oscillation (e.g., gamma) by the phase of a slow rhythm (e.g., theta). PAC in different sub- and neocortical regions is known to underlie effective neural communication and correlates with successful long-term memory formation. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The present work aims to extend earlier observational data, by probing the functional role of theta-gamma PAC in the left temporal cortex in humans during verbal long-term memory encoding. METHODS: In three double-blinded, placebo-controlled experiments (n = 72), we employed cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to externally modulate ongoing PAC during a verbal-associative learning task. Three types of cross-frequency tACS protocols were used: bursts of high gamma tACS were coupled to the peak or trough of the theta tACS cycle, and a control condition where gamma tACS was continuously superimposed at theta tACS cycles. RESULTS: Gamma bursts coupled to the trough of theta tACS induced robust behavioral impairment in memory performance (p < .01), whereas gamma burst coupled to the peak or continuously superimposed with theta tACS had no significant behavioral effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate direct evidence regarding the importance of theta-gamma coupling in verbal long-term memory formation.
Authors: Marom Bikson; Zeinab Esmaeilpour; Devin Adair; Greg Kronberg; William J Tyler; Andrea Antal; Abhishek Datta; Bernhard A Sabel; Michael A Nitsche; Colleen Loo; Dylan Edwards; Hamed Ekhtiari; Helena Knotkova; Adam J Woods; Benjamin M Hampstead; Bashar W Badran; Angel V Peterchev Journal: Brain Stimul Date: 2019-07-17 Impact factor: 8.955
Authors: Narges Radman; Juliane Britz; Karin Buetler; Brendan S Weekes; Lucas Spierer; Jean-Marie Annoni Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2018-07-25 Impact factor: 4.677