D'Angelo, Mariano; Frassinetti, Francesca and Cappelletti, Marinella. 2023. The Role of Beta Oscillations in Mental Time Travel. Psychological Science, 34(4), pp. 490-500. ISSN 0956-7976 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

The brain processes short-interval timing but also allows people to project themselves into the past and the future (i.e., mental time travel [MTT]). Beta oscillations index seconds-long-interval timing (i.e., higher beta power is associated with longer durations). Here, we used parietal transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to investigate whether MTT is also supported by parietal beta oscillations and to test the link between MTT and short intervals. Thirty adults
performed a novel MTT task while receiving beta and alpha tACS, in addition to no stimulation. Beta tACS corresponded to a temporal underestimation in past but not in future MTT. Furthermore, participants who overestimated seconds-long intervals also overestimated temporal distances in the past-projection MTT condition and showed a stronger effect of beta tACS. These data provide a unique window into temporal perception, showing how beta oscillations may be a common mechanism for short intervals and MTT.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221147259
Data Access Statement:	The study reported in this article was preregistered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04582994; https:// clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04582994). Experimental stimuli are available from the Corresponding Author on request. Data have been made publicly available on OSF and can be accessed at https://osf.io/fbdgs/.
Keywords:	time traveling, beta oscillations, brain stimulation, parietal lobe, short durations, open data, preregistration
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology
Dates:	Date Event 28 March 2022 Submitted 7 November 2022 Accepted 16 February 2023 Published Online April 2023 Published
Item ID:	39405
Date Deposited:	18 Aug 2025 09:06
Last Modified:	18 Aug 2025 09:06
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/39405

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