{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T11:13:36Z","timestamp":1788347616839,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,19]],"date-time":"2025-07-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752883200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["European Journal of Pain"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Neural oscillations are increasingly recognised as key mechanisms integrating the sensory, affective and cognitive dimensions of pain, yet their precise role in pain modulation remains poorly understood. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offers a promising tool for modulating these oscillations and elucidating their function in pain processing. However, findings on tACS\u2010induced pain modulation have been inconsistent, possibly due to a lack of individualised protocols.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In this study, we investigated the effects of tACS delivered at the individual peak alpha frequency (IAF) on both pain perception and neural oscillations. Using a within\u2010subject, sham\u2010controlled design, we applied tACS over the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to the dominant arm in 38 healthy participants. Sustained periodic 0.2\u2009Hz thermonociceptive stimuli were applied to the dominant forearm before and after tACS. Pain perception and heat pain thresholds (HPT) were assessed before and after tACS. To calculate IAF from recorded scalp electroencephalography, we used a discriminative approach based on independent component analysis, enabling the isolation of somatosensory IAF (SS\u2010IAF).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The results revealed an overall increase in pain perception and a decrease in HPT in both sham and active conditions, with no significant interactions between conditions. However, a trend toward reduced sensitisation to thermonociceptive stimuli post\u2010tACS was observed. Exploratory analyses suggested a sex\u2010specific effect of tACS, with a potential modulation of HPT observed in women but not in men. Furthermore, we observed a significant correlation between SS\u2010IAF and HPT.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>These findings provide novel perspectives on advancing individualised neuromodulation approaches for pain.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Significance<\/jats:title><jats:p>This article introduces an individualised transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) approach, targeting the sensorimotor area at the individual somatosensory alpha frequency. Our findings highlight its potential for modulating pain perception and provide novel perspectives on advancing individualised neuromodulation for pain management.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.70086","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,19]],"date-time":"2025-07-19T08:23:47Z","timestamp":1752913427000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Individualised Alpha\u2010<scp>tACS<\/scp> for Modulating Pain Perception and Neural Oscillations: A Sham\u2010Controlled Study in Healthy Participants"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"29","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1320-1325","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yaser","family":"Fathi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neuroscience Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain  Brussels Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fran\u00e7oise","family":"Dissassuca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neuroscience Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain  Brussels Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gloria","family":"Ricci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neuroscience Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain  Brussels Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Neuroscience University of Padova  Padova Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Liberati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neuroscience Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain  Brussels Belgium"},{"name":"Psychological Sciences Research Institute Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain  Louvain\u2010la\u2010Neuve Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.5867-12.2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpain.2018.02.014"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1134\/S0362119714020030"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2021.11.018"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jneumeth.2006.05.033"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaneurol.2024.4857"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2016.11.045"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S50919"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2017.11.042"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","first-page":"6069","article-title":"Sensorimotor Peak Alpha Frequency Is a Reliable Biomarker of Pain Sensitivity","volume":"613299","author":"Furman A. 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