title: Consensus: Can transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation enhance motor learning and memory formation?
abstract: Noninvasive brain stimulation has developed as a promising tool for cognitive neuroscientists. Transcranial magnetic (TMS) and direct current (tDCS) stimulation allow researchers to purposefully enhance or decrease excitability in focal areas of the brain. The purpose of this article is to review information on the use of TMS and tDCS as research tools to facilitate motor memory formation, motor performance, and motor learning in healthy volunteers. Studies implemented so far have mostly focused on the ability of TMS and tDCS to elicit relatively short-lasting motor improvements and the mechanisms underlying these changes have been only partially investigated. Despite limitations, including the scarcity of data, work that has been already accomplished raises the exciting hypothesis that currently available noninvasive transcranial stimulation techniques could modulate motor learning and memory formation in healthy humans and potentially in patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1430, USA.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Edwin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Krakauer
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rothwell
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerloff
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wassermann
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual-Leone
authors.forename: Friedhelm
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: Pablo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Celnik
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Classen
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Floel
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ziemann
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.forename: Hartwig R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Siebner
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Leonardo G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*