CBBM Lecture "Transcranial alternating current stimulation: Models, EEG/MEG, and behavior"

CBBM-Lectures

by Dr.-Ing. habil. Christoph Siegfried Herrmann,

Institute of Psychology,

Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg

will take place on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 from 17:15 to 18:15 hours in CBBM, Ground Floor, Room 50/51.

Host: Prof. Jonas Obleser
Institute of Psychology I
Universität zu Lübeck


Abstract

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that EEG oscillations reflect cognitive processes. So far, however, EEG oscillations have only been correlated with cognitive functions. A new method now allows to demonstrate their causal role in brain function. During transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) an alternating current is applied to the scalp of human subjects and interferes with EEG oscillations. Multiple experiments will be introduced that all apply tACS at different frequencies in order to modulate both EEG oscillations and cognitive or behavioural functions. The results demonstrate that tACS can modulate ongoing EEG oscillations. This modulation, in turn, seems to modulate cognitive processes such as detection and perception as well as behavioural measures such as reaction time and error rates.


CV

Dr. Herrmann studied Electrical Engineering and received his PhD in Computer Science in 1996 from Darmstadt Technical University. He continued his postdotoral training at Mainz University Clinic and Darmstadt Technical Universty in the following two years. In 1997 he worked as Visiting Researcher at Hokkaido University in Japan. From 1997 to 2003 he was staff member at the Max Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in Leipzig. In 2003 he was appointed Full Professor Biological Psychology at Magdeburg University. Since 2009 he is Full Professor for Experimental Psychology at Oldenburg University.


Selected publications

  1. Helfrich RF, Knepper H, Nolte G, Strüber D, Rach S, Herrmann CS, Schneider TR, Engel AK. Selective modulation of interhemispheric functional connectivity by HD-tACS shapes perception. PLoS Biology 12(12):e1002031, 2014.
  2. Helfrich RF, Schneider TR, Rach S, Trautmann-Lengsfeld SA, Engel AK, Herrmann CS. Entrainment of Brain Oscillations  by Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation. Current Biology 24(3), 333-339, 2014.
  3. Herrmann CS, Fründ I, Lenz D (2010) Human gamma-band activity: a review on cognitive and behavioral correlates and network models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 34(7):981-92.
  4. Herrmann CS, Munk MH, Engel AK (2004) Cognitive functions of gamma-band activity: memory match and utilization. Trends Cogn Sci 8(8):347-55.
  5. Huster RJ, Debener S, Eichele T, Herrmann CS (2012) Methods for simultaneous EEG-fMRI: an introductory review. J Neurosci 32(18):6053-60.