title: Stimulation intensities of transcranial direct current stimulation have to be adjusted in children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor cortex excitability in healthy children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied 1mA anodal or cathodal tDCS for 10min on the left primary motor cortex of 19 healthy children and adolescents (mean age 13.9±0.4years). In order to prove whether the effects of tDCS may be attributed to the stimulation intensity, 10 children and adolescents were studied again using 0.5mA anodal and cathodal tDCS. Sham stimulation was used as a control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with sham stimulation, both 1mA anodal and cathodal tDCS resulted in a significant increase of Motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitudes which remained to be prominent even one hour after the end of stimulation. Interestingly, the 0.5mA cathodal tDCS decreased cortico-spinal excitability whereas the 0.5mA anodal stimulation did not result in any effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the first time, the study demonstrates age-specific influences of tDCS on cortical excitability of the primary motor cortex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, the stimulation protocols of the tDCS have to be optimized according to age by planning studies in pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital (UK-SH), Campus Kiel, Schwanenweg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: moliadze@med-psych.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moliadze
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmanke
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andreas
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lyzhko
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Deutschordenstr. 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital (UK-SH), Campus Kiel, Schwanenweg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siniatchkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004566:Electrodes; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Adolescent; Child; Cortical excitability; MEP; TMS; tDCS