Effects of beta-band and gamma-band rhythmic stimulation on motor inhibition
Inge Leunissen,
Manon Van Steenkiste,
Kirstin-Friederike Heise,
Thiago Santos Monteiro,
Kyle Dunovan,
Dante Mantini,
James P. Coxon,
Stephan P. Swinnen
Affiliations
Inge Leunissen
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Manon Van Steenkiste
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Kirstin-Friederike Heise
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Thiago Santos Monteiro
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Kyle Dunovan
Department of Psychology and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Dante Mantini
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126, Venice, Italy
James P. Coxon
School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Stephan P. Swinnen
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Summary: To investigate whether beta oscillations are causally related to motor inhibition, thirty-six participants underwent two concurrent transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and electroencephalography (EEG) sessions during which either beta (20 Hz) or gamma (70 Hz) stimulation was applied while participants performed a stop-signal task. In addition, we acquired magnetic resonance images to simulate the electric field during tACS. 20 Hz stimulation targeted at the pre-supplementary motor area enhanced inhibition and increased beta oscillatory power around the time of the stop-signal in trials directly following stimulation. The increase in inhibition on stop trials followed a dose-response relationship with the strength of the individually simulated electric field. Computational modeling revealed that 20 and 70 Hz stimulation had opposite effects on the braking process. These results highlight that the effects of tACS are state-dependent and demonstrate that fronto-central beta activity is causally related to successful motor inhibition, supporting its use as a functional biomarker.
