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Tone detection performance tracks the phase of applied 10-Hz brain stimulation

Properties1
tagsja-picks, factual_claims, singleton, xref, category/factual-claims

3 min read

Tone detection performance tracks the phase of applied 10-Hz brain stimulation

Evidence

Neuling et al. ( 2012 ) presented tone pips in noise and simultaneously applied 10-Hz tACS above the auditory cortices while manipulating the relative timing of the tone and tACS (the phase lag). They found that detection performance varied as a function of phase lag and that this function resembled well the tACS waveform. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4768 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Performance was above baseline in the 30 and 150° conditions, whereas it was below baseline in the 210, 270, and 330° conditions. Furthermore, performance was similar at 30 and 150°, and at 210 and 330° respectively, i.e., it was approximately symmetric with respect to the presumed best phase (90°). Although on average the best and worst performances were not associated with exactly opposite phases, possibly due to the contribution of higher harmonics, these observations match well the characteristics of the hypothesized 4-Hz cycle. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4798 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Cortical oscillations may also entrain with periodic auditory stimuli, so that high neuronal excitability phases become aligned with peaks in the sound envelope. This sound-brain entrainment is thought to facilitate cortical processing of upcoming acoustic events that concur with sound envelope peaks (Schroeder and Lakatos 2009 ; Arnal and Giraud 2012 ). While correlational studies showed that sound-brain entrainment is involved in the neural processing and perception of auditory stimuli (Stefanics et al. 2010 ; Besle et al. 2011 ; Gomez-Ramirez et al. 2011 ), only three published human studies sought to directly control this entrainment with periodic external stimulation and assess the perceptual effects. Neuling et al. ( 2012 ) presented tone pips in noise and simultaneously applied 10-Hz tACS above the auditory cortices while manipulating the relative timing of the tone and tACS (the phase lag). They found that detection performance varied as a function of phase lag and that this function resembled well the tACS waveform. Henry ( 2012 ; Henry et al. 2014 ) used a periodic 3- or 5-Hz modulation applied to an interrupted tone carrier as entraining stimulus. They manipulated the relative timing of the gap and the ongoing modulation and found that this influences gap detection in the phase-dependent manner described above for the tACS study. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4773 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

  • XREF: connects to: Phase-coherent brain stimulation may boost perceived loudness of matched click trains — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4807; Applying 10-Hz scalp current changed tone detection in line with current phase — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4768; Phase-induced detection differences cycle predominantly at the stimulation frequency itself. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4798 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

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