Transcranial direct current stimulation on the autonomic modulation and exercise time in individuals with spinal cord injury. A case report.
OBJECTIVE
To report the effect of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) of an individual, a sedentary male subject with complete chronic spinal cord injury at the T11-T12 levels.


METHODS
The individual underwent three experimental sessions: control, sham and anodal tDCS. Before, during and after exercise sessions, the following variables were recorded: heart rate variability, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), power and glucose (this one only before and after the exercise).


RESULTS
The anodal tDCS provided greater exercise time and power, lower perceived exertion, greater reduction in glucose, and an increase in time to reach the threshold of heart rate variability.


CONCLUSIONS
tDCS caused an improvement in the exercise tolerance, probably due to the modulation of the autonomic nervous system and the pain, characterized by reduced RPE.
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Fabiana Tenório Gomes
FT
Silva
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Jeferson Tafarel Pereira
JT
Rêgo
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Francisco Rômulo
FR
Raulino
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Marília Rodrigues
MR
Silva
Department of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Franceline
F
Reynaud
Department of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Electronic address: socratesegito@gmail.com.
Eryvaldo Sócrates Tabosa
ES
Egito
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Paulo Moreira Silva
PM
Dantas
D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods
D001786:Blood Glucose
Heart rate variability; Perceived exertion; Spinal cord injury; Transcranial direct current stimulation