The role of alpha oscillations in a premotor-cerebellar loop in modulation of motor learning: insights from transcranial alternating current stimulation

Abstract

Alpha oscillations (8-13 Hz) have been shown to play an important role in dynamic neural processes underlying learning and memory. The goal of this study was to scrutinize the role of oscillations in communication within a network implicated in motor sequence learning. To this end, we conducted two experiments using the serial reaction time task. In the first experiment, we explored changes in power and cross-channel coherence. We found a gradual decrease in learning-related power over left premotor cortex (PMC), somatosensory cortex (S1) and tempo-parietal junction (TPJ). Alpha coherence between left PMC/S1 and right cerebellar crus I was reduced for sequence learning, possibly reflecting a functional decoupling in a motor-cerebellar loop during the motor learning process. In the second experiment in a different cohort, we applied 10Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a method shown to entrain local oscillatory activity, to left M1 (lM1) and right cerebellum (rCB) during sequence learning. We observed learning deficits during rCB tACS compared to sham, but not during lM1 tACS. In addition, learning-related power following rCB tACS was increased in left PMC, possibly reflecting a decrease in neural activity. Importantly, learning-specific coherence between left PMC and right cerebellar lobule VIIb was enhanced following rCB tACS. These findings suggest that interactions within a premotor-cerebellar loop, which are underlying motor sequence learning, are mediated by oscillations. We show that they can be modulated through external entrainment of cerebellar oscillations, which then modulates motor cortical and interferes with sequence learning.