Affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin

Abstract: Neural entrainment, the synchronization of brain activity to rhythmic sensory input, plays a central role in shaping perception and behavior. In this talk, I will present a series of studies investigating the stability of auditory entrainment, its susceptibility to electrical modulation, and the interaction between sensory and electrical rhythms.

First, we showed that both behavioral and neural signatures of auditory entrainment are remarkably stable across sessions within individuals, establishing entrainment as a reliable neurophysiological feature. We then demonstrated that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can bias perception in a phase-dependent manner, although effects vary substantially across individuals, highlighting the importance of personalized stimulation strategies. Finally, when rhythmic auditory input coincides with tACS, behavioral performance predominantly follows the sensory rhythm, indicating that sensory stimuli dominate over rhythmic electrical stimulation in modulating behavior.

Together, these findings reveal both the robustness of auditory entrainment and the challenges of externally steering it, pointing toward future efforts that combine individualized targeting and adaptive stimulation to more effectively modulate perception.