Cerebellum in sensory gating: an EEG-tACS study in healthy volunteers

The current study will focus on cerebellar involvement in sensory gating (SG). Sensory gating refers to the brain’s ability to filter out irrelevant sensory input from the external environment, which is crucial for optimal cognitive functioning. Various brain areas are involved with SG, showing the complex multi-regional network involved in SG, with some indications pointing to a left hemisphere predominance. While often overlooked, the cerebellum may play a vital role within this network, as some studies observed cerebellar activation during SG. Therefore, the current study theorizes that the dysregulation of cerebellar output could potentially disrupt SG in higher cortical regions. To investigate this theory, the current research will use cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (CB-tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which can modulate the brain’s excitability using exogenous oscillatory field potentials. The current study will investigate the effects of CB-tACS on SG using a single-blind, sham-controlled, within-subjects design.