Biology subjects

Dzialecka, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Dzialecka, P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Effects of hippocampal noninvasive theta-burst stimulation on consolidation of associative memory in healthy older adults

Stimulation of deep brain areas can offer benefits against cognitive impairments associated with aging. So far, this was only possible via invasive methods accompanied by risks. Grossman et al. proposed a new noninvasive stimulation technique, transcranial temporal interference electric stimulation (tTIS), which can be steered to target and modulate activity of deep brain structures. Memory capacity depends on subcortical structures such as the hippocampus, hence, modulation of hippocampal activity could benefit declining cognitive functions. The current study investigates whether theta-burst patterned tTIS targeting the hippocampus influences performance of associative memory in older adults. We found that theta-burst patterned tTIS, but not the control stimulation, improved recollection time in a follow-up 24h after the stimulation, suggesting that theta-burst patterned tTIS can influence the efficiency of longer-term encoding. This outcome indicates that tTIS may provide a new noninvasive deep brain stimulation method to modulate senescent memory processes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

LTP-like noninvasive striatal brain stimulation enhances striatal activity and motor skill learning in humans

The stimulation of deep brain structures has thus far only been possible with invasive methods. Transcranial electrical temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a novel, noninvasive technology that might overcome this limitation. The initial proof-of-concept was obtained through modeling, physics experiments and rodent models. Here, we show for the first time successful noninvasive neuromodulation of the striatum via tTIS in humans using computational modeling, fMRI studies and behavioral evaluations. Theta-burst patterned striatal tTIS increased activity in the striatum and associated motor network. Furthermore, striatal tTIS enhanced motor performance, especially in healthy older participants as they have lower natural learning skills than younger subjects. These findings place tTIS as exciting new method to target deep brain structures in humans noninvasively, thus enhancing our understanding of their functional roles. Moreover, our results lay the groundwork for innovative, noninvasive treatment strategies for brain disorders in which deep striatal structures play key pathophysiological roles.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Focal Non-invasive Deep-brain Stimulation with Temporal Interference for the Suppression of Epileptic Biomarkers

Neurostimulation applied from deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes is an effective therapeutic intervention in patients suffering from intractable drug-resistant epilepsy when resective surgery is contraindicated or failed. Inhibitory DBS to suppress seizures and associated epileptogenic biomarkers could be performed with high-frequency stimulation (HFS), typically between 100 -165Hz, to various deep-seated targets such as for instance the Mesio-temporal lobe (MTL) which leads to changes in brain rhythms, specifically in the hippocampus. The most prominent alterations concern high-frequency oscillations (HFOs), namely increase in ripples, a reduction in pathological Fast Ripples (FRs), and a decrease in pathological interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs). In the current study, we use Temporal Interference stimulation to provide a non-invasive focal DBS (130 Hz) of the MTL, specifically the hippocampus, which increases physiological ripples, and decreases the number of FRs and IEDs in a mouse model of epilepsy. Similarly, we show the inability of 130 Hz transcranial current stimulation (TCS) to achieve similar results. The method could potentially revolutionize how DBS, certainly in epilepsy, is performed, and we therefore further demonstrate the translatability to human subjects via measurements of the TI stimulation vs TCS in human cadavers. Results show the better penetration of TI fields into the human hippocampus as compared with TCS. Finally, we provide evidence of the efficacy of the specific form of Pulse-width Modulated TI (PWM-TI), implemented with square waves, which is used in this study. One Sentence SummaryA non-invasive deep brain stimulation applied via temporal interference achieves the suppression of biomarkers of epilepsy in mice and is scaled to humans.

neuroscience↗