A Feasibility Study of Bilateral Anodal Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex Using High-Definition Electrodes in Healthy Participants.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) studies often use one anode to increase cortical excitability in one hemisphere. However, mental processes may involve cortical regions in both hemispheres. This study's aim was to assess the safety and possible effects on affect and working memory of tDCS using two anodes for bifrontal stimulation. A group of healthy subjects participated in two bifrontal tDCS sessions on two different days, one for real and the other for sham stimulation. They performed a working memory task and reported their affect immediately before and after each tDCS session. Relative to sham, real bifrontal stimulation did not induce significant adverse effects, reduced decrement in vigor-activity during the study session, and did not improve working memory. These preliminary findings suggest that bifrontal anodal stimulation is feasible and safe and may reduce task-related fatigue in healthy participants. Its effects on neuropsychiatric patients deserve further study.
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Jiansong
J
Xu
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Stephen M
SM
Healy
Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of New York, City College, New York, New York.
Dennis Q
DQ
Truong
Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of New York, City College, New York, New York.
Abhishek
A
Datta
Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of New York, City College, New York, New York.
Marom
M
Bikson
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Marc N
MN
Potenza
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004566:Electrodes; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
affect; cognitive function; non-invasive brain stimulation; tDCS; working memory