Increasing Human Brain Excitability by Transcranial High-Frequency Random Noise Stimulation

By Daniella Terney, L. Chaieb, V. Moliadze, Andrea Antal, Walter Paulus. Journal of Neuroscience, 2008

628 citations recorded by the source corpus.

For >20 years, noninvasive transcranial stimulation techniques like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been used to induce neuroplastic-like effects in the human cortex, leading to the activity-dependent modification of synaptic transmission. Here, we introduce a novel method of electrical stimulation: transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), whereby a random electrical oscillation spectrum is applied over the motor cortex. tRNS induces consistent excitability increases lasting 60 min after stimulation. These effects have been observed in 80 subjects through both physiological measures and behavioral tasks. Higher frequencies (100–640 Hz) appear to be responsible for generating this excitability increase, an effect that may be attributed to the repeated opening of Na+ channels. In terms of efficacy tRNS appears to possess at least the same therapeutic potential as rTMS/tDCS in diseases such as depression, while furthermore avoiding the constraint of current flow direction sensitivity characteristic of tDCS.

Subfields: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1ef35a66c681e7fc20a2e7ef32bcad45eceecda5

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

In Cognitive Neuroscience

In Neurology

Citations in the corpus

A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools (2015, methodology): “This technique is more recent than the other types of tES, with very few studies regarding mechanisms of action (Terney et al., 2008; Paulus, 2011).”
Optimization of multifocal transcranial current stimulation for weighted cortical pattern targeting from realistic modeling of electric fields (2013, neutral): “The neuromodulatory effect of thesefields has been confirmed inmany laboratories (Antal et al., 2008; Nitsche and Paulus, 2001, 2000; Terney et al., 2008).”
Evidence-based guidelines on the therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). (2017, background): “a consistent increase in motor cortex excitability (Terney et al., 2008).”
Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation: Safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017, background): “, 2005), and tRNS seems relatively well tolerated by subjects (Ambrus et al., 2010; Curado et al., 2016; Terney et al., 2008).”
Gyri –precise head model of transcranial DC stimulation: Improved spatial focality using a ring electrode versus conventional rectangular pad (2009, neutral): “In cases of pulsed or AC stimulation waveforms, the appropriate modulation map (parameter/function that determines degree of brain ‘‘modulation’’) may differ.(20,55,56) Any FE human head model is limited by the accuracy of tissue dimensions and conductivity values incorporated (inhomogeneity and ani”
Physiological and modeling evidence for focal transcranial electrical brain stimulation in humans: A basis for high-definition tDCS (2013, background): “, 2008), transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (tPCS) and its derivatives such as Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (Kirsch and Smith, 2000), and transcranial high-frequency random noise stimulation (tRNS)(Terney et al., 2008).”
Human neuronal excitation/inhibition balance explains and predicts neurostimulation induced learning benefits (2023, background): “Recent findings show that an excitatory form of noninvasive neurostimulation—high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS, Terney et al., 2008)—influences E/I in mice by reducing GABAergic activity (Sanchez-Leon et al., 2020).”
Targeting neural oscillations with transcranial alternating current stimulation (2021, methodology): “…power across a frequency range and has been demonstrated to increase neural excitability based on a probe of motor cortex excitability via motor evoked potentials from single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation and decreased reaction time in an implicit motor learning task (Terney, 2008).”