Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Modulates Risky Decision Making in a Frequency-Controlled Experiment

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Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on voluntary risky decision making and executive control in humans. Stimulation was delivered online at 5 Hz (θ), 10 Hz (α), 20 Hz (β), and 40 Hz (γ) on the left and right frontal area while participants performed a modified risky decision-making task. This task allowed participants to voluntarily select between risky and certain decisions associated with potential gains or losses, while simultaneously measuring the cognitive control component (voluntary switching) of decision making. The purpose of this experimental design was to test whether voluntary risky decision making and executive control can be modulated with tACS in a frequency-specific manner. Our results revealed a robust effect of a 20-Hz stimulation over the left prefrontal area that significantly increased voluntary risky decision making, which may suggest a possible link between risky decision making and reward processing, underlined by β-oscillatory activity.

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Most cited references 72

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Executive Functions

Adele Diamond (2013)

Executive functions (EFs) make possible mentally playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused. Core EFs are inhibition [response inhibition (self-control—resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively) and interference control (selective attention and cognitive inhibition)], working memory, and cognitive flexibility (including creatively thinking “outside the box,” seeing anything from different perspectives, and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances). The developmental progression and representative measures of each are discussed. Controversies are addressed (e.g., the relation between EFs and fluid intelligence, self-regulation, executive attention, and effortful control, and the relation between working memory and inhibition and attention). The importance of social, emotional, and physical health for cognitive health is discussed because stress, lack of sleep, loneliness, or lack of exercise each impair EFs. That EFs are trainable and can be improved with practice is addressed, including diverse methods tried thus far.

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Alpha-band oscillations, attention, and controlled access to stored information

Wolfgang Klimesch (2012)

Alpha-band oscillations are the dominant oscillations in the human brain and recent evidence suggests that they have an inhibitory function. Nonetheless, there is little doubt that alpha-band oscillations also play an active role in information processing. In this article, I suggest that alpha-band oscillations have two roles (inhibition and timing) that are closely linked to two fundamental functions of attention (suppression and selection), which enable controlled knowledge access and semantic orientation (the ability to be consciously oriented in time, space, and context). As such, alpha-band oscillations reflect one of the most basic cognitive processes and can also be shown to play a key role in the coalescence of brain activity in different frequencies.

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Abstract reward and punishment representations in the human orbitofrontal cortex.

J. O'Doherty, M Kringelbach, E Rolls … (2001)

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in emotion and emotion-related learning. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we measured brain activation in human subjects doing an emotion-related visual reversal-learning task in which choice of the correct stimulus led to a probabilistically determined 'monetary' reward and choice of the incorrect stimulus led to a monetary loss. Distinct areas of the OFC were activated by monetary rewards and punishments. Moreover, in these areas, we found a correlation between the magnitude of the brain activation and the magnitude of the rewards and punishments received. These findings indicate that one emotional involvement of the human orbitofrontal cortex is its representation of the magnitudes of abstract rewards and punishments, such as receiving or losing money.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): eNeuro

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): eNeuro

Journal ID (hwp): eneuro

Journal ID (pmc): eneuro

Journal ID (publisher-id): eNeuro

Title: eNeuro

Publisher: Society for Neuroscience

ISSN (Electronic): 2373-2822

Publication date (Electronic preprint): 30 November 2017

Publication date (Electronic): 11 December 2017

Publication date Collection: Nov-Dec 2017

Volume: 4

Issue: 6

Electronic Location Identifier: ENEURO.0136-17.2017

Affiliations

[1 ]Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, National Research University Higher School of Economics , Moscow 109316, Russian Federation

[2 ]School of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics , Moscow 109316, Russian Federation

Author notes

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Author contributions: Z.Y., M.F., A.S., and V.K. designed research; Z.Y. performed research; Z.Y. and M.M.-S. analyzed data; Z.Y. wrote the paper.

The work was supported by the Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100.

Correspondence should be addressed to Zachary Yaple at the above address, E-mail: zachyaple@ 123456gmail.com.

Author information

Zachary Yaple http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6006-9777

Mario Martinez-Saito http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6794-336X

Matteo Feurra http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0934-6764

Anna Shestakova http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9374-9878

Vasily Klucharev http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5257-3789

Article

Publisher ID: eN-NWR-0136-17

DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0136-17.2017

PMC ID: 5779115

SO-VID: 3a6ce222-84fb-4155-b38c-e200dd541325

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided that the original work is properly attributed.

History

Date received : 19 April 2017

Date revision received : 19 September 2017

Date accepted : 9 October 2017

Page count

Figures: 3, Tables: 5, Equations: 0, References: 89, Pages: 10, Words: 8832

Funding

Funded by: Russian Academic Excellence Project '5-100'

Award ID: The study has been funded by the Russian Academic Excellence Project '5-100'.

Custom metadata

cover-date November/December 2017

Keywords: 20-hz stimulation,frontal hemisphere,reward,risky decision making,task switching,transcranial alternating current stimulation

Data availability:

Keywords: 20-hz stimulation, frontal hemisphere, reward, risky decision making, task switching, transcranial alternating current stimulation

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Modulates Risky Decision Making in a Frequency-Controlled Experiment

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Abstract

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Special Series: Research for Policy Decision Making

Most cited references 72

Executive Functions

Alpha-band oscillations, attention, and controlled access to stored information

Abstract reward and punishment representations in the human orbitofrontal cortex.

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