Cognitive Strategy-based neuromodulation optimizes neural communication to improve working memory.

Rapid and effective enhancement of memory function through the integration of neuromodulation and cognitive training has been a longstanding objective in cognitive science and translational medicine. Research indicates that efficient training strategies are associated with rapid improvements in working memory (WM) performance, with successful WM performance linked to neural communication between frontomedial theta oscillations and posterior gamma oscillations. However, direct evidence showing how these strategies regulate neural communication and integrate neuromodulation to boost WM performance remains limited. This study addresses this gap by analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) data from participants undergoing strategy-based WM training combined with neuromodulation. We observed that WM enhancements were accompanied by altered coupling of theta-gamma oscillations. Then, targeted HD-transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) was applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), a region exhibiting representational similarity with behavior induced by the cognitive strategy implementation. This intervention resulted in enhanced WM performance associated with slower frontomedial theta oscillations. This study illuminates that cognitive-neural pattern plasticity can be rapidly and selectively improved through neuromodulation by leveraging spatial frequency coupling within specific cortical circuits involved in strategic memory.