Transcranial stimulation of alpha oscillations up-regulates the default mode network
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America June 11, 2021 K. Clancy, Jeremy A. Andrzejewski, Yuqi You et al.
Alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (α-tACS) applied to the cortical source of alpha oscillations in healthy adults not only increased EEG alpha activity but also strengthened functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), with the alpha increase mediating the connectivity enhancement. The findings identify a mechanistic link between alpha oscillations and DMN functioning and highlight α-tACS as a noninvasive intervention to regulate the DMN, which is dysregulated in major neuropsychiatric disorders.