the-combination-transcranial-alternating-current-stimulation

The Combination of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Electroencephalogram

Neural oscillations are integral to various cognitive processes, including working memory, attention, and perception. Transcranial alternating current ...

Southwest University

Impaired inhibitory control is a core feature of internet addiction disorder (IAD). It is therefore of interest to determine the neurophysiological markers associated with it. The present study aimed to find such biomarkers with a resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG). We specifically used scores on the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale revised edition (CIAS-R) to divide 46 participants into two groups: the IAD group (>53, n = 23) and control group (<46, n = 23). Both behavioral aspects (Go/NoGo responses and impulsivity) and EEG were measured in the lab. The results suggest that the IAD group presented a decreased slow-wave (1−8 Hz) absolute power across the whole brain. The slow-wave activities in the frontal areas were also correlated with the commission error rate in the Go/NoGo task in the IAD group. These results imply that the frontal slow-wave EEG activity may serve as a neurophysiological marker of IAD, helping to understand the underlying neural mechanisms of inhibitory control deficits in IAD and point to possible interventions.

Slow-Wave EEG Activity Correlates with Impaired Inhibitory Control in Internet Addiction Disorder.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental health problem, and its core cognitive manifestation is the persistent fear of being evaluated, including both negatively (FNE) and positively (FPE). This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationships of FNE, FPE and SAD and explore their neural basis.

From fears of evaluation to social anxiety: The longitudinal relationships and neural basis in healthy young adults.

Sex modulates the effect of HD-tDCS over the prefrontal cortex on the Iowa Gambling Task.

The prevalence of the Internet addiction disorder (IAD) has been on the rise, making it increasingly imperative to explore the neurophysiological markers of it. Using the whole-brain imaging approach of EEG microstate analysis, which treats multichannel EEG recordings as a series of quasi-steady states, similar as the resting-state networks found by fMRI, the present study aimed to investigate the specificity of the IAD in class C of the four canonical microstates. The existing EEG data of 40 participants (N = 20 for each group) was used, and correlation between the time parameters of microstate C and the performance of the Go/NoGo task was analyzed. Results suggested that the duration and coverage of class C were significantly reduced in the IAD group as compared to the healthy control (HC) group. Furthermore, the duration of class C had a significant inverse correlation with Go RTs in the IAD group. These results implied that class C might serve as a neurophysiological marker of IAD, helping to understand the underlying neural mechanism of inhibitory control in IAD.

Spontaneous brain microstates correlate with impaired inhibitory control in internet addiction disorder.

In the digital age, Internet addiction (IA) was deemed an epidemic and few treatments had been effectively developed for it. Here, we proposed a solution-focused group counseling (SFGC) as a potentially solution to reduce Internet addiction among college students. The present study examined the short- and long-term effect of a five-week solution-focused group counseling intervention on Internet addiction.

Five-week of solution-focused group counseling successfully reduces internet addiction among college students: A pilot study.

In recent years, electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) have gained popularity as stylish, safe, and effective smoking cessation aids, leading to widespread consumer acceptance. Although previous research has explored the acute effects of combustible cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy on brain functional activities, studies on e-cigs have been limited. Using fNIRS, we conducted graph theory analysis on the resting-state functional connectivity of 61 male abstinent smokers both before and after vaping e-cigs. And we performed Pearson correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between alterations in network metrics and changes in craving. E-cig use resulted in increased degree centrality, nodal efficiency, and local efficiency within the executive control network (ECN), while causing a decrease in these properties within the default model network (DMN). These alterations were found to be correlated with reductions in craving, indicating a relationship between differing network topologies in the ECN and DMN and decreased craving. These findings suggest that the impact of e-cig usage on network topologies observed in male smokers resembles the effects observed with traditional cigarettes and other forms of nicotine delivery, providing valuable insights into their addictive potential and effectiveness as aids for smoking cessation.

Altered executive control network and default model network topology are linked to acute electronic cigarette use: A resting-state fNIRS study.

The effect of HD-tDCS on temporal discounting behavior: An ERP evidence.

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) has been linked to cortico-striatal dysfunctions, particularly within the prefrontal-striatal circuitry. However, previous studies have typically focused on discrete parcellations of the striatum, overlooking its continuous variations of neural organization. Moreover, while repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown benefits in CUD treatment, the neural effects of rTMS on striatal dysfunction in CUD remain poorly understood. Using connectome gradient-mapping techniques on three resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets, we derived the ventromedial-to-dorsolateral striatal functional topography. We identified specific alterations in this topography in the discovery cohort (41 CUD patients and 44 controls), validated findings in an independent cohort (53 CUD patients and 45 controls), and examined whether rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) could normalize abnormalities in the rTMS-treatment cohort (44 patients). Across all datasets, we found a positive correlation between gradient variation and drug dependence severity in CUD. Compared to controls, CUD in both the discovery and replication cohorts exhibited elevated gradient values in the ventral striatum, while decreased values in the dorsal striatum were observed only in the discovery cohort. Furthermore, in the rTMS-treatment cohort, 5-Hz rTMS targeting the left dlPFC significantly normalized the aberrant gradient values in the ventral striatum, and these changes also related to cocaine craving changes. Overall, our study provides novel evidence of specific alterations in the ventromedial-to-dorsolateral functional topography of the striatum in CUD patients and highlights the impact of rTMS on striatal circuits through prefrontal modulation.

Abnormal ventromedial-to-dorsolateral hierarchical topography of striatal circuits in cocaine use disorder and its modulations by brain stimulation.

Repeated nicotine exposure can lead to cognitive changes, including working memory. However, we have a limited understanding of such changes. To address this gap, 48 smokers participated in smoking-specific N-back tasks involving smoking and neutral cues under different working memory loads (1-back and 2-back), while EEG data were recorded. By employing drift-diffusion model and EEG analysis, we examined how cue types and working memory loads modulate behavioral performance and identified the underlying cognitive processes and neural correlates. The results showed decreased accuracy across working memory loads and slower reaction times specifically in the low working memory load condition when exposed to smoking cues. Drift-diffusion model analysis suggested that these effects may stem from reduced drift rate and a lower decision threshold. These behavioral differences between cue types were mirrored in the neural activity, with smoking cues eliciting smaller P300 amplitudes, decreased alpha and beta power under both working memory loads, and increased positive slow wave predominantly at low working memory load. Furthermore, negative correlations were observed between nicotine craving and behavior performance (i.e., accuracy), drift-diffusion model parameters (i.e., drift rate and decision threshold) and EEG data (i.e., alpha and beta power). These findings enhance our understanding of how smoking cues affect cognitive processing and the neural mechanisms of working memory in smokers.

Article	Year
Slow-Wave EEG Activity Correlates with Impaired Inhibitory Control in Internet Addiction Disorder. International journal of environmental research and public health\| PubMed ID: 35270377	2022
From fears of evaluation to social anxiety: The longitudinal relationships and neural basis in healthy young adults. International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP\| PubMed ID: 36381587	2023
Sex modulates the effect of HD-tDCS over the prefrontal cortex on the Iowa Gambling Task. Brain stimulation\| PubMed ID: 36731772	2023
Spontaneous brain microstates correlate with impaired inhibitory control in internet addiction disorder. Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging\| PubMed ID: 37487311	2023
Five-week of solution-focused group counseling successfully reduces internet addiction among college students: A pilot study. Journal of behavioral addictions\| PubMed ID: 37966485	2023
Altered executive control network and default model network topology are linked to acute electronic cigarette use: A resting-state fNIRS study. Addiction biology\| PubMed ID: 38949205	2024
The effect of HD-tDCS on temporal discounting behavior: An ERP evidence. Brain stimulation\| PubMed ID: 39955028	2025
Abnormal ventromedial-to-dorsolateral hierarchical topography of striatal circuits in cocaine use disorder and its modulations by brain stimulation. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology\| PubMed ID: 40169911	2025
The Impact of Smoking Cues on Working Memory: Evidence from the Drift-Diffusion Model and EEG. Addictive behaviors\| PubMed ID: 40651070	2025

Yawei Qi

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