Christopher Gundlach (MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany) | Modulating somatosensation with transcranial alternating current stimulation

Abstract

Major functional modes of the human brain rely on rhythmic activity. Several studies were able to link ongoing oscillatory activity to various brain functions such as sensory perception or memory. In somatosensation, attention-, working-memory- and perception-related processes are visible as modulations of neuronal oscillations, mainly in the alpha, beta and gamma band. New brain stimulation techniques like transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on the other hand may offer the possibility to specifically alter such oscillatory activity. In my talk I will present work on the modulation of somatosensation by tACS. Specifically I will present effects of tACS tuned to the individual mu-alpha frequency on ongoing somatosensory mu-alpha oscillations as well as effects of tACS on somatosensory perception.