Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31819688›Full record

ArticleNature and science of sleep2019

Bilateral Theta Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) Modulates EEG Activity: When tACS Works Awake It Also Works Asleep.

Aurora D'Atri, Serena Scarpelli, Maurizio Gorgoni, Valentina Alfonsi, Ludovica Annarumma, Anna Maria Giannini, Michele Ferrara, Fabio Ferlazzo, Paolo Maria Rossini, Luigi De Gennaro

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature and science of sleep, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Aurora D'AtriDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Serena ScarpelliDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9260-7111
Maurizio GorgoniDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Valentina AlfonsiDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9929-0399
Ludovica AnnarummaDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Anna Maria GianniniDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Michele FerraraDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2304-7576
Fabio FerlazzoDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Paolo Maria RossiniInstitute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Luigi De GennaroDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3613-6631
Sapienza University of Rome · ITIRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele · ITUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore · ITUniversity of L'Aquila · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRecent studies demonstrate that 5-Hz bilateral transcranial alternating current stimulation (θ-tACS) on fronto-temporal areas affects resting EEG enhancing cortical synchronization, but it does not affect subjective sleepiness. This dissociation raises questions on the resemblance of this effect to the physiological falling asleep process. The current study aimed to evaluate the ability of fronto-temporal θ-tACS to promote sleep. SUBJECTS AND

methodsTwenty subjects (10 F/10 M; mean age: 24.60 ± 2.9 y) participated in a single-blind study consisting of two within-subject sessions (active/sham), one week apart in counterbalanced order. Stimulation effects on EEG were assessed during wake and post-stimulation nap. The final sample included participants who fell asleep in both sessions (n=17).

resultsGroup analyses on the whole sample reported no θ-tACS effects on subjective sleepiness and sleep measures, while a different scenario came to light by analysing data of responders to the stimulation (ie, subjects actually showing the expected increase of theta activity in the wake EEG after the θ-tACS, n=7). Responders reported a significant increase in subjective sleepiness during wakefulness after the active stimulation as compared to the sham. Moreover, the sleep after the θ-tACS compared to sham in this sub-group showed: (1) greater slow-wave activity (SWA); (2) SWA time-course revealing increases much larger as closer to the sleep onset; (3) stimulation-induced changes in SWA during sleep topographically associated to those in theta activity during wake.

conclusionSubjects who show the expected changes during wake after the stimulation also had a consistent pattern of changes during sleep. The enhancement of cortical synchronization by θ-tACS during wakefulness actually corresponds to increased sleep pressure, but it occurs only in some individuals. Thus, θ-tACS can enhance sleep, although individual factors to be further investigated affect the actual responsiveness to this treatment.

Indexed as

EEGsleepsleep onsetslow-wave activitytranscranial alternating current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID31819688
PMCPMC6875492
OpenAlexW2982758638

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.