title: Improving Interference Control in ADHD Patients with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).
abstract: The use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been suggested as a promising alternative to psychopharmacological treatment approaches due to its local and network effects on brain activation. In the current study, we investigated the impact of tDCS over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) on interference control in 21 male adolescents with ADHD and 21 age matched healthy controls aged 13-17 years, who underwent three separate sessions of tDCS (anodal, cathodal, and sham) while completing a Flanker task. Even though anodal stimulation appeared to diminish commission errors in the ADHD group, the overall analysis revealed no significant effect of tDCS. Since participants showed a considerable learning effect from the first to the second session, performance in the first session was separately analyzed. ADHD patients receiving sham stimulation in the first session showed impaired interference control compared to healthy control participants whereas ADHD patients who were exposed to anodal stimulation, showed comparable performance levels (commission errors, reaction time variability) to the control group. These results suggest that anodal tDCS of the right inferior frontal gyrus could improve interference control in patients with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breitling
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zaehle
authors.affiliation: Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, Center for Integrated Biomedical Computing, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dannhauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonath
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tegelbeckers
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Henning
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Flechtner
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krauel
keywords: ADHD; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; flanker task; inhibitory control; interference control; right inferior frontal gyrus; tDCS; transcranial direct current stimulation