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      Transcranial alternating current stimulation: a review of the underlying mechanisms and modulation of cognitive processes

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          Abstract

          Brain oscillations of different frequencies have been associated with a variety of cognitive functions. Convincing evidence supporting those associations has been provided by studies using intracranial stimulation, pharmacological interventions and lesion studies. The emergence of novel non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) now allows to modulate brain oscillations directly. Particularly, tACS offers the unique opportunity to causally link brain oscillations of a specific frequency range to cognitive processes, because it uses sinusoidal currents that are bound to one frequency only. Using tACS allows to modulate brain oscillations and in turn to influence cognitive processes, thereby demonstrating the causal link between the two. Here, we review findings about the physiological mechanism of tACS and studies that have used tACS to modulate basic motor and sensory processes as well as higher cognitive processes like memory, ambiguous perception, and decision making.

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          Most cited references51

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          Simple model of spiking neurons.

          A model is presented that reproduces spiking and bursting behavior of known types of cortical neurons. The model combines the biologically plausibility of Hodgkin-Huxley-type dynamics and the computational efficiency of integrate-and-fire neurons. Using this model, one can simulate tens of thousands of spiking cortical neurons in real time (1 ms resolution) using a desktop PC.
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            Dynamic predictions: oscillations and synchrony in top-down processing.

            Classical theories of sensory processing view the brain as a passive, stimulus-driven device. By contrast, more recent approaches emphasize the constructive nature of perception, viewing it as an active and highly selective process. Indeed, there is ample evidence that the processing of stimuli is controlled by top-down influences that strongly shape the intrinsic dynamics of thalamocortical networks and constantly create predictions about forthcoming sensory events. We discuss recent experiments indicating that such predictions might be embodied in the temporal structure of both stimulus-evoked and ongoing activity, and that synchronous oscillations are particularly important in this process. Coherence among subthreshold membrane potential fluctuations could be exploited to express selective functional relationships during states of expectancy or attention, and these dynamic patterns could allow the grouping and selection of distributed neuronal responses for further processing.
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              Neural synchrony in brain disorders: relevance for cognitive dysfunctions and pathophysiology.

              Following the discovery of context-dependent synchronization of oscillatory neuronal responses in the visual system, novel methods of time series analysis have been developed for the examination of task- and performance-related oscillatory activity and its synchronization. Studies employing these advanced techniques revealed that synchronization of oscillatory responses in the beta- and gamma-band is involved in a variety of cognitive functions, such as perceptual grouping, attention-dependent stimulus selection, routing of signals across distributed cortical networks, sensory-motor integration, working memory, and perceptual awareness. Here, we review evidence that certain brain disorders, such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's are associated with abnormal neural synchronization. The data suggest close correlations between abnormalities in neuronal synchronization and cognitive dysfunctions, emphasizing the importance of temporal coordination. Thus, focused search for abnormalities in temporal patterning may be of considerable clinical relevance.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Front Hum Neurosci
                Front Hum Neurosci
                Front. Hum. Neurosci.
                Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
                Frontiers Media S.A.
                1662-5161
                14 June 2013
                2013
                : 7
                : 279
                Affiliations
                [1] 1Experimental Psychology Lab, Center of excellence Hearing4all, Department for Psychology, Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Ammerländer Heerstr Oldenburg, Germany
                [2] 2Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
                Author notes

                Edited by: Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Aalto University, Finland

                Reviewed by: Jack Van Honk, Utrecht University, Netherlands; Paul Sauseng, University of Surrey, UK

                *Correspondence: Christoph S. Herrmann, Department of Experimental Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, D-26129 Oldenburg, Germany e-mail: christoph.herrmann@ 123456uni-oldenburg.de
                Article
                10.3389/fnhum.2013.00279
                3682121
                23785325
                6ca6906b-c2cc-4c0b-8e8e-c4b204d77c1f
                Copyright © 2013 Herrmann, Rach, Neuling and Strüber.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited and subject to any copyright notices concerning any third-party graphics etc.

                History
                : 31 January 2013
                : 28 May 2013
                Page count
                Figures: 7, Tables: 0, Equations: 0, References: 74, Pages: 13, Words: 10244
                Categories
                Neuroscience
                Review Article

                Neurosciences
                alpha,eeg,electroencephalogram,gamma,oscillations,transcranial direct current stimulation,transcranial alternating current stimulation,transcranial magnetic stimulation

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