Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Neurofeedback shows promise as a clinical intervention, but its effectiveness is hindered by variability of response across individuals. One factor influencing neurofeedback success may be endogenous brain states, particularly the baseline power within target frequency bands. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) provides a potential mechanism to modulate these baseline frequency bands. This study explored whether tACS could effectively enhance participants’ ability to gain neurofeedback control by increasing lateralised posterior alpha activity prior to engagement in a covert spatial attention-based neurofeedback task. Participants completed three counterbalanced sessions: 1) alpha tACS and active neurofeedback, 2) alpha tACS and sham neurofeedback, 3) gamma (40Hz) tACS and active neurofeedback. Neurofeedback performance was assessed via lateralized posterior alpha power shifts and Posner task reaction times. We identified no difference in reaction times or lateralised alpha power shifts across conditions. While participants reliably demonstrated lateralised posterior alpha patterns, consistent with the covert spatial attention neurofeedback protocol, no advantage of active neurofeedback over sham was observed. The lack of significant effects underscores the need for further rigorous tACS studies to identify the parameters essential for successful neural entrainment, and to evaluate its potential in enhancing neurofeedback efficacy.
Institutions: University of Glasgow, University of Stirling
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Stable perception of external stimuli over time: oculo-motor and visual processing mechanisms, Brain Rhythms in Altered Vision After Stroke (BRAVAS), DTP 2020-2021 University of Glasgow, G2282789166, Brain Rhythms in Altered Vision After Stroke (BRAVAS), G3674023720, G4648777296, G6418768417
OpenAlex ID: W7220455398