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Gait‐combined transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates cortical control of muscle activities during gait
Author(s) -
Kitatani Ryosuke,
Koganemaru Satoko,
Maeda Ayaka,
Mikami Yusuke,
Matsuhashi Masao,
Mima Tatsuya,
Yamada Shigehito
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.14919
Subject(s) - motor cortex , electromyography , physical medicine and rehabilitation , stimulation , gait , transcranial alternating current stimulation , treadmill , medicine , neuroscience , tibialis anterior muscle , primary motor cortex , transcranial magnetic stimulation , psychology , anatomy , physical therapy , skeletal muscle
Abstract Non‐invasive brain stimulation has been of interest as a therapeutic tool to modulate cortical excitability. However, there is little evidence that oscillatory brain stimulation can modulate the cortical control of muscle activities during gait, which can be assessed using coherence analysis of paired surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gait‐combined transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at the gait cycle frequency on the cortical control of muscle activities during gait using EMG‐EMG coherence analysis. Fourteen healthy young adults participated in this study. All participants underwent 2 test conditions (real tACS and sham stimulation over the leg area of the primary motor cortex during 10‐min treadmill walking). The average peak‐to‐peak amplitudes of the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius muscles in the sitting position and EMG‐EMG coherences in the TA muscle, triceps surae muscles, quadriceps muscles, and hamstring muscles during gait were measured before and after stimulation. Entrainment effect was significantly higher during real tACS than during sham stimulation. After real tACS, the MEP amplitude and beta band (13–33 Hz) coherence area increased in the TA muscle. The change in MEP amplitude from the TA muscle was positively correlated with the change in beta band coherence area in the TA muscle. Gait‐combined tACS can modulate the strength of descending neural drive to TA motoneurons during gait. This suggests that oscillatory brain stimulation is a useful therapeutic tool to modulate the cortical control of muscle activities during gait.