Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.
This pilot study investigates the impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on psychological stress using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Forty volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups: the tACS and the control. The experiment was divided into three distinct...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319702 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850127232725417984 |
|---|---|
| author | M N Afzal Khan Yara Badr Sandra Mary Prasad Usman Tariq Fadwa Almughairbi Fabio Babiloni Fares Al-Shargie Hasan Al-Nashash |
| author_facet | M N Afzal Khan Yara Badr Sandra Mary Prasad Usman Tariq Fadwa Almughairbi Fabio Babiloni Fares Al-Shargie Hasan Al-Nashash |
| author_sort | M N Afzal Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This pilot study investigates the impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on psychological stress using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Forty volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups: the tACS and the control. The experiment was divided into three distinct stages: pre-stimulation, stimulation, and post-stimulation. The Stroop Color-Word Task (SCWT) was employed as a validated stress-inducing paradigm to assess pre- and post-stimulation changes. During the initial phase, the participants completed the SCWT. This was followed by either tACS or sham. In the third session, the individuals solved the task again. The anode and cathode for the transcranial tACS were placed on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). tACS, was applied with current intensity of 1.5 mA at 16 Hz over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), aimed to modulate cortical activation and mitigate stress. Sham included 5-second ramp periods. Physiological data using alpha amylase and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) were utilized. The results revealed significant hemodynamic changes and reduced stress levels in the tACS group compared to the sham group (p < 0.001). The connectivity network changed significantly (p < 0.001) following tACS. In addition, the NASA-TLX results showed a statistically significant difference between the pre-and post-tACS sessions. In contrary, no statistical significance was noticed for the sham control group. An increase in the blood flow in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain was observed, demonstrating the potential of tACS as a non-invasive neuromodulation technique for stress mitigation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d223bf88d75746c3bc56d024d4e07b23 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-d223bf88d75746c3bc56d024d4e07b232025-08-20T02:33:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01203e031970210.1371/journal.pone.0319702Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.M N Afzal KhanYara BadrSandra Mary PrasadUsman TariqFadwa AlmughairbiFabio BabiloniFares Al-ShargieHasan Al-NashashThis pilot study investigates the impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on psychological stress using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Forty volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups: the tACS and the control. The experiment was divided into three distinct stages: pre-stimulation, stimulation, and post-stimulation. The Stroop Color-Word Task (SCWT) was employed as a validated stress-inducing paradigm to assess pre- and post-stimulation changes. During the initial phase, the participants completed the SCWT. This was followed by either tACS or sham. In the third session, the individuals solved the task again. The anode and cathode for the transcranial tACS were placed on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). tACS, was applied with current intensity of 1.5 mA at 16 Hz over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), aimed to modulate cortical activation and mitigate stress. Sham included 5-second ramp periods. Physiological data using alpha amylase and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) were utilized. The results revealed significant hemodynamic changes and reduced stress levels in the tACS group compared to the sham group (p < 0.001). The connectivity network changed significantly (p < 0.001) following tACS. In addition, the NASA-TLX results showed a statistically significant difference between the pre-and post-tACS sessions. In contrary, no statistical significance was noticed for the sham control group. An increase in the blood flow in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain was observed, demonstrating the potential of tACS as a non-invasive neuromodulation technique for stress mitigation.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319702 |
| spellingShingle | M N Afzal Khan Yara Badr Sandra Mary Prasad Usman Tariq Fadwa Almughairbi Fabio Babiloni Fares Al-Shargie Hasan Al-Nashash Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. |
| title_full | Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. |
| title_fullStr | Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. |
| title_short | Impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. |
| title_sort | impact of transcranial alternating current stimulation on psychological stress a functional near infrared spectroscopy study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319702 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mnafzalkhan impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT yarabadr impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT sandramaryprasad impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT usmantariq impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT fadwaalmughairbi impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT fabiobabiloni impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT faresalshargie impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy AT hasanalnashash impactoftranscranialalternatingcurrentstimulationonpsychologicalstressafunctionalnearinfraredspectroscopystudy |