Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36759231›Full record

SynthesisNeuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society2023

Efficacy of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in the Enhancement of Working Memory Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Meta-Analysis.

Nicole R Nissim, Darrian C McAfee, Shanna Edwards, Amara Prato, Jennifer X Lin, Zhiye Lu, H Branch Coslett, Roy H Hamilton

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05999916 (A Prospective, Single-Arm, Monocentric Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety and Feasibility of Transcranial Alternate Current Stimulation With the Miamind Neurostimulator in Healthy Participants), which is not on this map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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.

NCT05999916 nacompletednot on this map

A Prospective, Single-Arm, Monocentric Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety and Feasibility of Transcranial Alternate Current Stimulation With the Miamind Neurostimulator in Healthy Participants

TypeinterventionalSponsorBottneuro AGRan2023 to 2024Enrolled8ConditionsHealthy Participants, Healthy PopulationArmsPersonalized Miamind Neurostimulator
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation on cognitive function in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
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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

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nicole R NissimLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Einstein Medical Center, Elkins Park, PA, USA. Electronic address: Nicole.Nissim@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Darrian C McAfeeLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Shanna EdwardsLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Amara PratoLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jennifer X LinLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Zhiye LuLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
H Branch CoslettLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Einstein Medical Center, Elkins Park, PA, USA.
Roy H HamiltonLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Einstein Medical Center, Elkins Park, PA, USA.
University of Pennsylvania · USEinstein Medical Center Philadelphia · US

Funding

Treating primary progressive aphasia and elucidating neurodegeneration in the language network using transcranial direct current stimulationR01AG059763 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI HAMILTON, ROY H · 2019 to 2024
$3.7M
Postdoctoral Training in Translational Neurorehabilitation ResearchT32HD071844 · NICHD · ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK · PI WHYTE, JOHN · 2013 to 2022
$2.2M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG059763NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD071844
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that modulates cortical oscillations in the brain-has shown the capacity to enhance working memory (WM) abilities in healthy individuals. The efficacy of tACS in the improvement of WM performance in healthy individuals is not yet fully understood. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of tACS in the enhancement of WM in healthy individuals and to assess moderators of response to stimulation. We hypothesized that active tACS would significantly enhance WM compared with sham. We further hypothesized that it would do so in a task-dependent manner and that differing stimulation parameters would affect response to tACS. MATERIALS AND

methodsTen tACS studies met the inclusion criteria and provided 32 effects in the overall analysis. Random-effect models assessed mean change scores on WM tasks from baseline to poststimulation. The included studies involved varied in stimulation parameters, between-subject and within-subject study designs, and online vs offline tACS.

resultsWe observed a significant, heterogeneous, and moderate effect size for active tACS in the enhancement of WM performance over sham (Cohen's d = 0.5). Cognitive load, task domain, session number, and stimulation region showed a significant relationship between active tACS and enhanced WM behavior over sham.

conclusionsOur findings indicate that active tACS enhances WM performance in healthy individuals compared with sham. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to further explore key parameters, including personalized stimulation vs standardized electroencephalography frequencies and maintenance of tACS effects, and whether tACS-induced effects translate to populations with WM impairments.

Indexed as

Memory, Short-TermTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultBrainCognitionElectroencephalographyHumansCognitioncortical oscillationsmeta-analysistACSworking memory

Identifiers

PMID36759231
PMCPMC10257732
OpenAlexW4319788401

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.