The phase of tACS-entrained pre-SMA beta oscillations modulates motor inhibition

Zhou Fang, Alexander T. Sack, Inge Leunissen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Inhibitory control has been linked to beta oscillations in the fronto-basal ganglia network. Here we aim to investigate the functional role of the phase of this oscillatory beta rhythm for successful motor inhibition. We applied 20 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) while presenting stop signals at 4 (Experiment 1) and 8 (Experiment 2) equidistant phases of the tACS entrained beta oscillations. Participants showed better inhibitory performance when stop signals were presented at the trough of the beta oscillation whereas their inhibitory control performance decreased with stop signals being presented at the oscillatory beta peak. These results are consistent with the communication through coherence theory, in which postsynaptic effects are thought to be greater when an input arrives at an optimal phase within the oscillatory cycle of the target neuronal population. The current study provides mechanistic insights into the neural communication principles underlying successful motor inhibition and may have implications for phase-specific interventions aimed at treating inhibitory control disorders such as PD or OCD.
Original languageEnglish
Article number120572
JournalNeuroimage
Volume290
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Apr 2024

Keywords

  • Beta oscillations
  • Motor inhibition
  • Phase
  • Stop signals
  • Transcranial alternating current stimulation
  • Humans
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods
  • Motor Cortex/physiology
  • Inhibition, Psychological
  • Beta Rhythm/physiology
  • Synaptic Transmission

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The phase of tACS-entrained pre-SMA beta oscillations modulates motor inhibition'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this