Metacontrol-related aperiodic and periodic neural activity in cognitive aging: enhancing the neural signal-to-noise ratio through anodal transcranial direct current stimulation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yu Pi - , Shandong Normal University (Author)
  • Qinfei Zhang - , Shandong Normal University (Author)
  • Shuhui Lyu - , Shandong Normal University (Author)
  • Christian Beste - , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Shandong Normal University (Author)
  • Lorenza Colzato - , Shandong Normal University (Author)
  • Bernhard Hommel - , Shandong Normal University (Author)

Abstract

Metacontrol, the ability to adapt cognitive control to task demands, declines with age and is thought to be reflected in aperiodic and periodic neural dynamics. Given that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) can modulate cortical excitability via membrane potential shifts, we tested whether atDCS alters the neurophysiological signatures of metacontrol in younger and older adults. In a mixed design, younger and older participants performed a Go/Nogo task under both atDCS and sham stimulation conditions; resting-state EEG data were also acquired. Aperiodic activity was analyzed using the FOOOF algorithm, and periodic activity was examined through time–frequency analysis. Behaviorally, younger adults showed higher accuracy and faster responses than older adults, but no significant stimulation effects emerged in either group. Results showed that, compared to sham, aperiodic activity (FOOOF exponent) increased after atDCS, particularly in older adults, indicating a steepening of the EEG spectrum and thus increased inhibitory tone in the aging process. However, resting-state aperiodic activity did not predict stimulation-induced effects within either group. In the periodic domain, we found no evidence that atDCS modulated task-related theta or alpha power. Moreover, exploratory analyses revealed no significant associations between atDCS-induced changes in the aperiodic exponent and oscillatory power. This dissociation indicates that, under the present conditions, the periodic and aperiodic components of the EEG signal reflect distinct and likely independent neurophysiological responses to neuromodulation. Targeting metacontrol mechanisms through neuromodulation may, with further validation, open new avenues for supporting cognitive health in older adults.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages17
JournalGeroScience : official journal of the American Aging Association (AGE)
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 16 Jan 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 41543826
ORCID /0000-0003-4731-5125/work/204613341
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/204617248

Keywords

Keywords

  • Aging, Aperiodic activity, Cognitive control, Metacontrol, TDCS, Theta oscillations