Efficacy of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in the Enhancement of Working Memory Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Meta-Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)—a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that modulates cortical oscillations in the brain—has shown the capacity to enhance working memory (WM) abilities in healthy individuals. The efficacy of tACS in the improvement of WM performance in healthy individuals is not yet fully understood. Objective/HypothesisThis meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of tACS in the enhancement of WM in healthy individuals and to assess moderators of response to stimulation. We hypothesized that active tACS would significantly enhance WM compared with sham. We further hypothesized that it would do so in a task-dependent manner and that differing stimulation parameters would affect response to tACS. Materials and MethodsTen tACS studies met the inclusion criteria and provided 32 effects in the overall analysis. Random-effect models assessed mean change scores on WM tasks from baseline to poststimulation. The included studies involved varied in stimulation parameters, between-subject and within-subject study designs, and online vs offline tACS. ResultsWe observed a significant, heterogeneous, and moderate effect size for active tACS in the enhancement of WM performance over sham (Cohen’s d = 0.5). Cognitive load, task domain, session number, and stimulation region showed a significant relationship between active tACS and enhanced WM behavior over sham. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that active tACS enhances WM performance in healthy individuals compared with sham. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to further explore key parameters, including personalized stimulation vs standardized electroencephalography frequencies and maintenance of tACS effects, and whether tACS-induced effects translate to populations with WM impairments.