Simultaneous tACS-fMRI reveals state- and frequency-specific modulation of hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity

Max Kaiser; Yuejuan Wang; Sanne Ten Oever; Felix Duecker; Alexander T. Sack; Vincent van de Ven

doi:10.1038/s44271-025-00202-z

Simultaneous tACS-fMRI reveals state- and frequency-specific modulation of hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Non-invasive indirect hippocampal-targeted stimulation is of broad scientific and clinical interest. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is appealing because it allows oscillatory stimulation to study hippocampal theta (3-8 Hz) activity. We found that tACS administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging yielded a frequency-, mental state- and topologically-specific effect of theta stimulation (but not other frequencies) enhancing right (but not left) hippocampal-cortical connectivity during resting blocks but not during task blocks. Control analyses showed that this effect was not due to possible stimulation-induced changes in signal quality or head movement. Our findings are promising for targeted network modulations of deep brain structures for research and clinical intervention.

Original language	English
Article number	19
Number of pages	13
Journal	Communications psychology
Volume	3
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-025-00202-z
Publication status	Published - 3 Feb 2025

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title = "Simultaneous tACS-fMRI reveals state- and frequency-specific modulation of hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity",

abstract = "Non-invasive indirect hippocampal-targeted stimulation is of broad scientific and clinical interest. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is appealing because it allows oscillatory stimulation to study hippocampal theta (3-8 Hz) activity. We found that tACS administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging yielded a frequency-, mental state- and topologically-specific effect of theta stimulation (but not other frequencies) enhancing right (but not left) hippocampal-cortical connectivity during resting blocks but not during task blocks. Control analyses showed that this effect was not due to possible stimulation-induced changes in signal quality or head movement. Our findings are promising for targeted network modulations of deep brain structures for research and clinical intervention.",

author = "Max Kaiser and Yuejuan Wang and \{Ten Oever\}, Sanne and Felix Duecker and Sack, \{Alexander T.\} and \{van de Ven\}, Vincent",

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doi = "10.1038/s44271-025-00202-z",

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AU - Kaiser, Max

AU - Wang, Yuejuan

AU - Ten Oever, Sanne

AU - Duecker, Felix

AU - Sack, Alexander T.

AU - van de Ven, Vincent

PY - 2025/2/3

Y1 - 2025/2/3

N2 - Non-invasive indirect hippocampal-targeted stimulation is of broad scientific and clinical interest. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is appealing because it allows oscillatory stimulation to study hippocampal theta (3-8 Hz) activity. We found that tACS administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging yielded a frequency-, mental state- and topologically-specific effect of theta stimulation (but not other frequencies) enhancing right (but not left) hippocampal-cortical connectivity during resting blocks but not during task blocks. Control analyses showed that this effect was not due to possible stimulation-induced changes in signal quality or head movement. Our findings are promising for targeted network modulations of deep brain structures for research and clinical intervention.

AB - Non-invasive indirect hippocampal-targeted stimulation is of broad scientific and clinical interest. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is appealing because it allows oscillatory stimulation to study hippocampal theta (3-8 Hz) activity. We found that tACS administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging yielded a frequency-, mental state- and topologically-specific effect of theta stimulation (but not other frequencies) enhancing right (but not left) hippocampal-cortical connectivity during resting blocks but not during task blocks. Control analyses showed that this effect was not due to possible stimulation-induced changes in signal quality or head movement. Our findings are promising for targeted network modulations of deep brain structures for research and clinical intervention.

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DO - 10.1038/s44271-025-00202-z

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VL - 3

JO - Communications psychology

JF - Communications psychology

IS - 1

M1 - 19

ER -

Simultaneous tACS-fMRI reveals state- and frequency-specific modulation of hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity

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