Enhancing working memory in MCI: Modulating alpha-gamma coupling and gamma oscillations via rTMS

• Published in: Neurotherapeutics
• Main Authors: Xiao Yuan, Xiaochen Zhang, Jingnan Sun, Renren Li, Jing Ma, Chenxi Pan, Meng Liu, Hualan Yang, Dan Yang, Fangyun Li, Zhi Bie, Zhen Hu, Yunxia Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
• Subjects: Mild cognitive impairment; Occipital gamma activity; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Cross-frequency coupling; Working memory
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747925000972

Cross-frequency coupling (CFC), particularly the interaction between alpha and gamma oscillations, is a pivotal mechanism implicated in cognitive function, with potential for modulation by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This study aimed to investigate the impact of high-frequency rTMS (HF rTMS) on CFC and visual working memory (VWM) in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Twenty MCI patients and twenty healthy controls were administered 10Hz rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Our critical findings indicate that post-intervention, MCI patients exhibited significant enhancements in VWM performance, notably under low memory load. These improvements correlated with a reduction in occipital gamma activity, and were concurrent with strengthened phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between frontal alpha and occipital gamma oscillations. The results underscore the capacity of alpha-band HF rTMS to modulate neural activity, offering a promising, non-invasive strategy for enhancing cognitive performance in MCI.