The impact of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on alpha coherence and verbal divergent thinking.

Magdalena Camenzind, Rahel A Steuri, Branislav Savic, Fred W Mast, René M Müri, Aleksandra K Eberhard-Moscicka

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Article in Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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6 authors.

Magdalena CamenzindPerception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3125-0710

Rahel A SteuriPerception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Branislav SavicPerception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Fred W MastDepartment of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

René M MüriPerception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Aleksandra K Eberhard-MoscickaPerception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5325-5152

Funding

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6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Random noise stimulation (tRNS) applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) enhances fluency and originality in verbal divergent thinking tasks. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of this behavioral change remain unclear. Given that the DLPFC is a key node of the executive control network (ECN) and that creativity is a two-stage process in which the ECN is primarily involved in the final idea selection stage, application of tRNS to this region shall not only result in an increase of originality and flexibility but also in a modulation of EEG activity. To test these assumptions, we collected 256-channel EEG of 40 participants before and after tRNS/sham applied to the DLPFC, during which participants performed two verbal creativity tasks. To assess stimulation-induced connectivity changes and to capture large-scale cortical communication, a source space alpha (8-12 Hz) imaginary coherence was calculated. We found that the tRNS-induced improvements in originality and flexibility were associated with bilateral DLPFC alpha coherence changes. From a large-scale networks perspective, these results suggest that tRNS-induced ECN activity is associated with increased originality and flexibility, potentially by enhancing selectivity in the idea evaluation phase. This study, for the first time, indicates a link between neurophysiological activity and tRNS-induced changes in verbal creativity.

Indexed as

Dual process model of creativityLarge scale networksNeural modulationNoninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS)Verbal creativityWeighted node degree (wND)

Identifiers

PMID40487366

DOI10.1162/netn_a_00446

PMCPMC12140578

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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.