Project:

Cognitive enhancement by personalized transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation in theta-gamma coupling

Mentor (Advisor):

RNDr. Eugen Kvašňák, Ph.D.

Department:

Department of medical biophysics and informatics

Contact information:

eugen.kvasnak@lf3.cuni.cz, 26710 2304

Project Narrative:

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is suitable for modulation of endogenous neuronal oscillations. A special setting of tACS can achieve a cross-frequency coupling between the theta phase (4-8 Hz) and gamma amplitude (30-80 Hz), i.e. theta-gamma coupling (TGC). According to recent studies, it seems that TGC is a promising tool for increasing working memory (WM) capacity. TGC can be personalized, i.e., at least one of the applied tACS frequencies will be the subject's own (typically theta frequency). The individual, subject's own theta frequency can be detected as the EEG peak of the theta band during the preliminary WM test subject perform. Subsequent implementation of subject-specific theta frequency into TGC settings (personalization) should increase the effectiveness of TGC (stimulation and resonance frequency) and thus enhance cognitive function. A battery of five behavioral tests of WM will be used to assess WM capacity before and after TGC application, comprehensively covering all WM components (visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, central executive system). The effects of TGC will be analyzed in the results of the behavioral tests (reaction time, scores) and in the characteristics of the EEG recordings (power spectrum, frequency maxima, scalp electric field, coherence, etc.).

Requirements for student applicants:

Completed university education (Master) in general medicine, or, psychology or natural sciences or biological signal processing.