title: Effects of alternating current stimulation on the healthy and diseased brain.
abstract: Cognitive and neurological dysfunctions can severely impact a patient's daily activities. In addition to medical treatment, non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been proposed as a therapeutic technique to improve the functional state of the brain. Although during the last years tACS was applied in numerous studies to improve motor, somatosensory, visual and higher order cognitive functions, our knowledge is still limited regarding the mechanisms as to which type of ACS can affect cortical functions and altered neuronal oscillations seem to be the key mechanism. Because alternating current send pulses to the brain at predetermined frequencies, the online- and after-effects of ACS strongly depend on the stimulation parameters so that "optimal" ACS paradigms could be achieved. This is of interest not only for neuroscience research but also for clinical practice. In this study, we summarize recent findings on ACS-effects under both normal conditions and in brain diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Experimental Physics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Kubang Kerian, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Aini Ismafairus
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Abd Hamid
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Experimental Physics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany ; German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE) Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Speck
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antal
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sabel
keywords: EEG; oscillation; synchronization; transcranial alternating current stimulation; transorbital alternating current stimulation