Utilizing transcranial alternating current stimulation and functional neuroimaging to investigate human sensory adaptation

Abstract

Sensory adaptation is the reduction of neural activity after repeated exposure to a stimulus. In a recent study, Kar et al. (Kar K, Ito T, Cole MW, Krekelberg B. J Neurophysiol 123: 428–438, 2020) found that implementation of 10-Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to the human middle temporal cortex (hMT+) decreased sensory adaptation and increased functional connectivity. We explain the relevance of neuroimaging utilization with tACS and suggest different methods. Additionally, future directions are provided by introducing task-relevant oscillatory frequencies for tACS related to other sensory processes that undergo adaptation.