Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Antal, Andrea, Prof. Dr.

Group Leader Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Dept. of Neurology


  • 1990 - Diploma in Biology, Attila József University of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
  • 1993 - University Doctor, Attila József University of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
  • 1998 - Ph.D. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary
  • 2005 Habilitation, University of Göttingen, Germany
  • 2010 Extraordinary professor, University of Göttingen, Germany



Major Research Interests

Neuroplasticity became one central topic of neuroscience research in the last decades. Dynamic modifications of neuronal networks are an important substrate for learning and memory formation. Furthermore, pathological neuroplasticity might be one foundation of numerous central nervous system diseases.

The primary aim of our recent work is to develop and establish new non-invasive brain stimulation methods to induce physiological changes in the central nervous system in order to investigate cognition and complex information processing. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was developed by our group as a non-invasive tool to induce neuroplasticity in the human cerebral cortex. tDCS as a tool aims to induce prolonged neuronal excitability and activity alterations in the human brain via alterations of the neuronal membrane potential. Accordingly, this method is a promising tool in the treatment of diseases that are accompanied by changes of cortical excitability. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and random noise stimulation (tRNS) are new external stimulation techniques influencing cortical activity. tACS and tRNS permit, due to the oscillating stimulation, external interference with the cortical oscillations. They can particularly modulate the temporary connections of cortical areas during a given task. Neuronal oscillations in the brain are associated with the processing of sensory information, learning, cognition, arousal, attention and also pathological conditions (e.g. Parkinson's tremor, epilepsy). Therefore, the external modulation of cortical oscillations could be an important component of induced cerebral plasticity. In terms of effectiveness tRNS seems to have at least the same therapeutic potential for the treatment of diseases such as depression and chronic pain as rTMS and tDCS.



Homepage Department/Research Group

https://neurologie.umg.eu/forschung/arbeitsgruppen/noninvasive-brain-stimulation-lab-nbs-lab/



Selected Recent Publications


  • Antal A, Bischoff R, Stephani C, Czesnik D, Klinker F, Timäus C, Chaieb L, Paulus W. Low intensity, transcranial, alternating current stimulation reduces migraine attack burden in a home application set-up: a double-blinded, randomized feasibility study. Brain Sciences, 2020, 10:888.
  • Fried PJ, Santarnecchi E, Antal A, Bartres-Faz D, Bestmann S, Carpenter LL, Celnik P, Edwards D, Farzan F, Fecteau S, George MS, He B, Kim YH, Leocani L, Lisanby SH, Loo C, Luber B, Nitsche MA, Paulus W, Rossi S, Rossini PM, Rothwell J, Sack AT, Thut G, Ugawa Y, Ziemann U, Hallett M, Pascual-Leone A. Training in the practice of noninvasive brain stimulation: recommendations from an IFCN committee. Clinical Neurophysiology, 2021, 132:819-837.
  • Turi Z, Mittner M, Lehr A, Bürger H, Antal A. Paulus W. Theta-gamma cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation over the trough impairs cognitive control. eNeuro, 2020, 7:ENEURO.0126-20-2020,
  • Antal A. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Treatment of Facial Pain. Progress in Neurological Surgery, Basel, 2020, 35: 1–9.
  • Singh A, Erwin-Grabner T, Goya-Maldonado R, Antal A. Transcranial Magnetic and Direct Current Stimulation in the Treatment of Depression: Basic Mechanisms and Challenges of Two Commonly Used Brain Stimulation Methods in Interventional Psychiatry. Neuropsychobiology, 2019, 5:1-11.
  • Lehr A, Henneberg N, Nigam T, Paulus W, Antal A. Modulation of conflict processing by theta range tACS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neural Plasticity, 2019:6747049.
  • Sabel BA, Abd Hamid AI, Borrmann C, Speck O, Antal A. Transorbital alternating current stimulation modifies BOLD activity in healthy subjects and in a stroke patient with hemianopia: a 7 Tesla fMRI feasibility study. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2019, pii: S0167-8760(18)31055-9.
  • Lefaucheur JP, Antal A, Ayache SS, Benninger DH, Brunelin J, Cogiamanian F, Cotelli M, De Ridder D, Ferrucci R, Langguth B, Marangolo P, Mylius V, Nitsche MA, Padberg F, Palm U, Poulet E, Priori A, Rossi S, Schecklmann M, Vanneste S, Ziemann U, Garcia-Larrea L, Paulus W. Evidence-based guidelines on the therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Clinical Neurophysiology, 2017; 128:56-92.
  • Antal A, Herrmann CS. Transcranial alternating current and random noise stimulation: Possible mechanisms. Neural Plasticity, 2016: 3616807.
  • Alekseichuk I, Diers K, Paulus W, Antal A. Transcranial electrical stimulation of the occipital cortex during visual perception modifies the magnitude of BOLD activity: a combined tES-fMRI approach. Neuroimage, 2015, pii: S1053-8119(15)01056-3.