title: Prefronto-cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation improves visuospatial memory, executive functions, and neurological soft signs in patients with euthymic bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to improve neuropsychological functioning of euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (BD) using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to cerebellar and prefrontal cortices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five BD outpatients underwent prefrontal (anodal) and cerebellar (cathodal) tDCS for 3 consecutive weeks. All participants were assessed through the Rey Complex Figure Test delay and copy and the Neurological Examination Scale at baseline and after therapy with tDCS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After tDCS treatment, patients showed significant improvements in visuospatial memory tasks. Patients with worse baseline cognitive performances also showed a significant improvement in executive functioning tasks. Neurological Examination Scale total score and motor coordination subscale significantly improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prefrontal-excitatory and cerebellar-inhibitory stimulations in euthymic BD patients may lead to better neurocognitive performances. This improvement could result from the modulation of prefronto-thalamic-cerebellar circuit activity pattern, which can be disrupted in BD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minichino
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vergnani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Taddei
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delle Chiaie
keywords: cerebellum; cognition; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; neuropsychology