Single-trial assessment of gamma-frequency brain oscillations and their modulation using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

INTRODUCTION: Gamma-band oscillations (30-200 Hz) support cognitive functions such as memory, perception, and decision-making, which are often impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. These disorders show distinct gamma abnormalities that are promising targets for transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). However, phase-specific adaptation of stimulation to ongoing gamma activity has long been considered unfeasible due to the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of non-invasive recordings and stimulation-related artifacts. Recent advances in quantum sensing now offer improved SNR, enabling phase-locked modulation of gamma oscillations. METHODS: We tested whether gamma-frequency brain oscillations can be assessed at the single-trial level and modulated by amplitude-modulated tACS (AM-tACS) in a phase-specific manner. Using 16 optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), we recorded 40 Hz auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) in 19 participants during AM-tACS applied over the temporal lobe at randomly assigned phase lags relative to the ASSR. Participants judged the loudness of auditory stimuli, while occipital stimulation served as a control condition. We hypothesized that AM-tACS would alter ASSR latency, a measure of cortical synchronization, and loudness perception only when targeting the temporal lobe. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: AM-tACS modulated both ASSR latency (p < 0.05) and loudness perception (p < 0.05) in a phase-dependent manner during temporal but not occipital stimulation. Physiological and behavioral effects were correlated across participants in modulation strength r = 0.613, p < 0.01, while an exploratory post-hoc analysis suggested that they are also linked in modulation phase V = 5.38, p < 0.05. These findings establish the feasibility of single-trial assessment and phase-specific modulation of gamma oscillations, advancing adaptive closed-loop tACS approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders.