Working memory enhancement using real-time phase-tuned transcranial alternating current stimulation.

Background: Prior work has shown that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of parietooccipital alpha oscillations (8-14 Hz) can modulate working memory (WM) performance as a function of the phase lag to endogenous oscillations. However, leveraging this effect using real-time phase-tuned tACS has not been feasible so far due to stimulation artifacts preventing continuous phase tracking.

Objectives And Hypothesis: We aimed to develop a system that tracks and adapts the phase lag between tACS and ongoing parietooccipital alpha oscillations in real-time.