Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39876999›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2024

Theta transcranial alternating current stimulation over the prefrontal cortex enhances theta power and working memory performance.

Ranjan Debnath, Osama Elyamany, Jona Ruben Iffland, Jonas Rauh, Michael Siebert, Elisa Andraes, Gregor Leicht, Christoph Mulert

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Combining transcranial electrical stimulation with training in older adults: Effects on dual-task ability.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026
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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.

Ranjan DebnathCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Osama ElyamanyCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Jona Ruben IfflandCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Jonas RauhDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Michael SiebertCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Elisa AndraesCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Gregor LeichtDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Christoph MulertCentre for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a promising tool for modulating brain oscillations. This study investigated whether 5 Hz tACS could modulate neural oscillations in the prefrontal cortex and how this modulation impacts performance in working memory (WM) tasks. Method: In two sessions, 28 healthy participants received 5 Hz tACS or sham stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) while performing tasks with high and low WM loads. Resting-state EEG was recorded before and after stimulations for 5 minutes. EEG power was measured at electrodes surrounding the stimulation site. Results: The results showed that tACS significantly improved reaction time (RT) compared to sham stimulation. This effect was task-specific, as tACS improved RT for hit responses only in high WM load trials, with no impact on low-load trials. Moreover, tACS significantly increased EEG power at 5 Hz and in the theta band compared to pre-stimulation levels. Discussion: These findings demonstrate that tACS applied over left DLPFC modulates post-stimulation brain oscillations at the stimulation sites - known as tACS after-effects. Furthermore, the results suggest that 5 Hz tACS enhances response speed by elevating task-related activity in the prefrontal cortex to an optimal level for task performance. Conclusion: In summary, the findings highlight the potential of tACS as a technique for modulating specific brain oscillations, with implications for research and therapeutic interventions.

Indexed as

dorsolateral prefrontal cortexEEGtheta powertranscranial alternating current stimulationworking memory

Identifiers

PMID39876999
PMCPMC11772280

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Registered trials

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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.