The oscillatory transcranial electric stimulation and the
amplitude-modulated frequency dictate the quantitative features of
phosphenes
Abstract
The study explores the crucial role of current oscillation and neural
alignment to amplitude-modulation frequency in phosphene induction
through various forms of transcranial electric stimulation. Previous
research has shown that transcranial alternating current stimulation
(tACS) can modulate phosphene perception. The application of tACS
introduces rhythmic electric field changes and alternating polarity,
making the oscillatory mechanism behind phosphene perception still
unclear. To dissociate the effects of changing electric field vs.
alternating polarity, the present study employs oscillatory transcranial
direct current stimulation (otDCS) to eliminate the influence of
polarity switching. We administered scalp electric stimulations using
tACS and otDCS in anodal or cathodal polarities over the occipital lobe.
All stimulations were conducted with sinusoidal (18 Hz) or
amplitude-modulated (2 Hz AM embedded in an 18 Hz carrier) waveforms at
threshold or suprathreshold intensities. The results revealed no
difference between stimulation polarities, suggesting the importance of
current oscillation rather than polarity alteration in phosphene
induction. Furthermore, amplitude-modulated stimulation consistently
produced slower phosphene flash rates, unaffected by intensity,
indicating the dominance of amplitude-modulation frequency in phosphene
perception. Our findings suggest (1) current oscillation, rather than
polarity switching, is crucial for phosphene generation; (2)
amplitude-modulation frequency effects on perception threshold, response
time, and perceived flash rate are robust irrespective of the
oscillatory stimulation protocols; (3) amplitude-modulation information
is encoded in phosphene perception generation independently of the
carrier frequency. This study provides direct evidence of the link
between phosphene occurrence and oscillatory current activity,
underscoring the robustness and independence of amplitude-modulation
coding in visual perception.