Non-invasive stimulation of the human striatum disrupts reinforcement learning of motor skills

Pierre Vassiliadis, Elena Beanato, Traian Popa, Fabienne Windel, Takuya Morishita, Esra Neufeld, Julie Duque, Gerard Derosiere, Maximilian J. Wessel and Friedhelm C. Hummel ()
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Pierre Vassiliadis: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Elena Beanato: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Traian Popa: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Fabienne Windel: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Takuya Morishita: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Esra Neufeld: Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society
Julie Duque: Université Catholique de Louvain
Gerard Derosiere: Université Catholique de Louvain
Maximilian J. Wessel: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Friedhelm C. Hummel: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Nature Human Behaviour, 2024, vol. 8, issue 8, 1581-1598

Abstract: Abstract Reinforcement feedback can improve motor learning, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain underexplored. In particular, the causal contribution of specific patterns of oscillatory activity within the human striatum is unknown. To address this question, we exploited a recently developed non-invasive deep brain stimulation technique called transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) during reinforcement motor learning with concurrent neuroimaging, in a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study. Striatal tTIS applied at 80 Hz, but not at 20 Hz, abolished the benefits of reinforcement on motor learning. This effect was related to a selective modulation of neural activity within the striatum. Moreover, 80 Hz, but not 20 Hz, tTIS increased the neuromodulatory influence of the striatum on frontal areas involved in reinforcement motor learning. These results show that tTIS can non-invasively and selectively modulate a striatal mechanism involved in reinforcement learning, expanding our tools for the study of causal relationships between deep brain structures and human behaviour.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01901-z

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