Attention improvement to transcranial alternating current stimulation at gamma frequency over the right frontoparietal network: a preliminary report

Abstract

ObjectiveApplying transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 40 Hz to the frontal and parietal regions can improve cognitive dysfunctions. This study aimed to explore the influence of tACS at gamma frequency over right fronto-parietal (FP) region on attention.MethodsWe administered Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA; visual mode) to 44 participants with various neuropsychiatric diagnoses before and after 12 sessions of tACS treatment. Alternating currents at 2.0 mA were delivered to the electrode positions F4 and P4, following the 10-20 EEG convention, for 20 minutes in each session.ResultsWe observed significant improvement across 3 indices of the TOVA, including reduction of variability in reaction time (RT;P=0.0002), increase in d-Prime (separability of targets and non-targets;P=0.0157), and decrease in commission error rate (P=0.0116). The mean RT and omission error rate largely remained unchanged.ConclusionArtificial injection of tACS at 40 Hz over right FP network may improve attention function, especially in the domains of consistency in performance, target/non-target discrimination, and inhibitory control.