Controlling Brain State Prior to Stimulation of Parietal Cortex Prevents Deterioration of Sustained Attention

Abstract Sustained attention is a limited resource which declines during daily tasks. Such decay is exacerbated in clinical and aging populations. Inhibition of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), using low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS), can lead to an upregulation of functional communication within the attention network. Attributed to functional compensation for the inhibited node, this boost lasts for tens of minutes poststimulation. Despite the neural change, no behavioral correlate has been found in healthy subjects, a necessary direct evidence of functional compensation. To understand the functional significance of neuromodulatory induced fluctuations on attention, we sought to boost the impact of LF-rTMS to impact behavior. We controlled brain state prior to LF-rTMS using high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (HF-tRNS), shown to increase and stabilize neuronal excitability. Using fMRI-guided stimulation protocols combining HF-tRNS and LF-rTMS, we tested the poststimulation impact on sustained attention with multiple object tracking (MOT). While attention deteriorated across time in control conditions, HF-tRNS followed by LF-rTMS doubled sustained attention capacity to 94 min. Multimethod stimulation was more effective when targeting right IPS, supporting specialized attention processing in the right hemisphere. Used in cognitive domains dependent on network-wide neural activity, this tool may cause lasting neural compensation useful for clinical rehabilitation.

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Controlling brain state prior to stimulation of parietal cortex prevents deterioration of sustained attention

10.1101/2020.01.06.896357 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Grace Edwards ◽

Federica Contò ◽

Loryn K. Bucci ◽

Lorella Battelli

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Neuronal Excitability ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Random Noise ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Impact Behavior ◽

Brain State ◽

Functional Compensation ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation ◽

The Impact

AbstractSustained attention is a limited resource which declines during daily tasks. Such decay is exacerbated in clinical and aging populations. Recent research has demonstrated that inhibition of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) using low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) can lead to an upregulation of functional communication within the attention network. Attributed to functional compensation for the inhibited node, this boost outlasts the stimulation for tens of minutes. Despite the neural change, no behavioral correlate has been found in healthy subjects, a necessary direct evidence of functional compensation. To understand the functional significance of neuromodulatory induced fluctuations on attention, we sought to boost the impact of LF-rTMS through controlling neural excitability prior to LF-rTMS, with the goal to impact behavior. Brain state was controlled using high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (HF-tRNS), shown to increase and stabilizes neuronal excitability. Using fMRI-guided stimulation protocols combining HF-tRNS and LF-rTMS, we tested the post-stimulation impact on sustained attention via a multiple object tracking task (MOT). Whilst attention deteriorated across time in the control conditions, HF-tRNS followed by LF-rTMS maintained attention performance up to 94 minutes, doubling the length of successful sustained attention. Multimethod stimulation was also more effective when targeting right IPS, supporting the notion of specialized attention processing in the right hemisphere. Used in a cognitive domain dependent on network-wide neural activity, this tool may be effective in causing lasting neural compensation important for clinical rehabilitation.

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Attention network modulation via tRNS correlates with attention gain

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.63782 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Federica Contò ◽

Grace Edwards ◽

Sarah Tyler ◽

Danielle Parrott ◽

Emily Grossman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Large Scale ◽

Random Noise ◽

Cognitive Capacity ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Attention Network ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation ◽

The Impact ◽

Behavioral Improvement

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) can enhance vision in the healthy and diseased brain. Yet, the impact of multi-day tRNS on large-scale cortical networks is still unknown. We investigated the impact of tRNS coupled with behavioral training on resting-state functional connectivity and attention. We trained human subjects for 4 consecutive days on two attention tasks, while receiving tRNS over the intraparietal sulci, the middle temporal areas, or Sham stimulation. We measured resting-state functional connectivity of nodes of the dorsal and ventral attention network (DVAN) before and after training. We found a strong behavioral improvement and increased connectivity within the DVAN after parietal stimulation only. Crucially, behavioral improvement positively correlated with connectivity measures. We conclude changes in connectivity are a marker for the enduring effect of tRNS upon behavior. Our results suggest that tRNS has strong potential to augment cognitive capacity in healthy individuals and promote recovery in the neurological population.

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Suboptimal Engagement of High-Level Cortical Regions Predicts Random-Noise-Related Gains in Sustained Attention

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797619856658 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (9) ◽

pp. 1318-1332 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Siobhán Harty ◽

Roi Cohen Kadosh

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Random Noise ◽

Explanatory Power ◽

Psychological Research ◽

Cognitive Outcomes ◽

Double Blind ◽

Attention Task ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation ◽

Cortical Regions ◽

High Level

Interindividual variability in outcomes across individuals poses great challenges for the application of noninvasive brain stimulation in psychological research. Here, we examined how the effects of high-frequency transcranial random-noise stimulation (tRNS) on sustained attention varied as a function of a well-studied electrocortical marker: spontaneous theta:beta ratio. Seventy-two participants received sham, 1-mA, and 2-mA tRNS in a double-blind, crossover manner while they performed a sustained-attention task. Receiving 1-mA tRNS was associated with improved sustained attention, whereas the effect of 2-mA tRNS was similar to the effect of sham tRNS. Furthermore, individuals’ baseline theta:beta ratio moderated the effects of 1-mA tRNS and provided explanatory power beyond baseline behavioral performance. The tRNS-related effects on sustained attention were also accompanied by reductions in theta:beta ratio. These findings impart novel insights into mechanisms underlying tRNS effects and emphasize how designing studies that link variability in cognitive outcomes to variability in neurophysiology can improve inferential power in neurocognitive research.

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Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Journal of Visualized Experiments ◽

10.3791/53576 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Tristan Altwegg-Boussac ◽

Séverine Mahon ◽

Mario Chavez ◽

Stéphane Charpier ◽

Adrien E. Schramm

Keyword(s):

Neuronal Excitability ◽

Synaptic Activity ◽

Brain State ◽

The Impact

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Attention network modulation via tRNS correlates with attention gain

10.1101/2020.09.15.298240 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

F. Contò ◽

G. Edwards ◽

S. Tyler ◽

D. Parrott ◽

E.D. Grossman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Large Scale ◽

Random Noise ◽

Cognitive Capacity ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Attention Network ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation ◽

The Impact ◽

Behavioral Improvement

AbstractTranscranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) can enhance vision in the healthy and diseased brain. Yet, the impact of tRNS on large-scale cortical networks is still unknown. We investigated the impact of tRNS coupled with behavioral training on resting-state functional connectivity and attention. We trained human subjects for four consecutive days on two attention tasks, while receiving tRNS over the intraparietal sulci, the middle temporal areas, or sham stimulation. We measured resting state functional connectivity of nodes of the dorsal and ventral attention network (DVAN) before and after training. We found a strong behavioral improvement and increased connectivity within the DVAN after parietal stimulation only. Crucially, behavioral improvement positively correlated with connectivity measures. We conclude changes in connectivity is a marker for the enduring effect of tRNS upon behavior. Our results suggest that tRNS has strong potential to augment cognitive capacity in healthy individuals and promote recovery in the neurological population.

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EP 69. Brain state dependent inhibitory and facilitatory effects following transcranial random noise stimulation in two motor tasks

Clinical Neurophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.clinph.2016.05.120 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 127 (9) ◽

pp. e267-e268

Author(s):

A. Jooß ◽

L. Haberbosch ◽

M. Rönnefarth ◽

R. Fleischmann ◽

M. Scholz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Random Noise ◽

Brain State ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

State Dependent ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

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Electrophysiological aftereffects of high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS): an EEG investigation

Experimental Brain Research ◽

10.1007/s00221-021-06142-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Filippo Ghin ◽

Louise O’Hare ◽

Andrea Pavan

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Discrimination Task ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Random Noise ◽

Decomposition Analysis ◽

Oscillatory Activity ◽

Motion Direction ◽

Time Frequency ◽

Direction Discrimination ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

AbstractThere is evidence that high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) is effective in improving behavioural performance in several visual tasks. However, so far there has been limited research into the spatial and temporal characteristics of hf-tRNS-induced facilitatory effects. In the present study, electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of cortical activity modulated by offline hf-tRNS on performance on a motion direction discrimination task. We used EEG to measure the amplitude of motion-related VEPs over the parieto-occipital cortex, as well as oscillatory power spectral density (PSD) at rest. A time–frequency decomposition analysis was also performed to investigate the shift in event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) in response to the motion stimuli between the pre- and post-stimulation period. The results showed that the accuracy of the motion direction discrimination task was not modulated by offline hf-tRNS. Although the motion task was able to elicit motion-dependent VEP components (P1, N2, and P2), none of them showed any significant change between pre- and post-stimulation. We also found a time-dependent increase of the PSD in alpha and beta bands regardless of the stimulation protocol. Finally, time–frequency analysis showed a modulation of ERSP power in the hf-tRNS condition for gamma activity when compared to pre-stimulation periods and Sham stimulation. Overall, these results show that offline hf-tRNS may induce moderate aftereffects in brain oscillatory activity.

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Effect of extreme cold temperatures on quasi-static indentation and impact behavior of woven carbon fiber epoxy composite sandwich panels with nomex honeycomb core

Journal of Sandwich Structures & Materials ◽

10.1177/1099636221993876 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109963622199387

Author(s):

Mathilde Jean-St-Laurent ◽

Marie-Laure Dano ◽

Marie-Josée Potvin

Keyword(s):

Epoxy Composite ◽

Impact Behavior ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

Composite Sandwich Panels ◽

Composite Sandwich ◽

Static Indentation ◽

Nomex Honeycomb ◽

Extreme Cold ◽

The Impact

The effect of extreme cold temperatures on the quasi-static indentation and the low velocity impact behavior of woven carbon/epoxy composite sandwich panels with Nomex honeycomb core was investigated. Impact tests were performed at room temperature, –70°C, and –150°C. Two sizes of hemispherical impactor were used combined to three different impactor masses. All the impact tests were performed at the same initial impact velocity. The effect of temperature on the impact behavior is investigated by studying the load history, load-displacement curves and transmitted energy as a function of time curves. Impact damage induced at various temperatures was studied using different non-destructive and destructive techniques. Globally, more damages are induced with impact temperature decreasing. The results also show that the effect of temperature on the impact behavior is function of the impactor size.

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