title: Transcranial direct current stimulation improves the QT variability index and autonomic cardiac control in healthy subjects older than 60 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noninvasive brain stimulation technique is an interesting tool to investigate the causal relation between cortical functioning and autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this report is to evaluate whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the temporal cortex influences short-period temporal ventricular repolarization dispersion and cardiovascular ANS control in elderly subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 50 healthy subjects (29 subjects younger than 60 years and 21 subjects older than 60 years) matched for gender, short-period RR and systolic blood pressure spectral variability, QT variability index (QTVI), and noninvasive hemodynamic data were obtained during anodal tDCS or sham stimulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the older group, the QTVI, low-frequency (LF) power expressed in normalized units, the ratio between LF and high-frequency (HF) power, and systemic peripheral resistances decreased, whereas HF power expressed in normalized units and α HF power increased during the active compared to the sham condition (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy subjects older than 60 years, tDCS elicits cardiovascular and autonomic changes. Particularly, it improves temporal ventricular repolarization dispersion, reduces sinus sympathetic activity and systemic peripheral resistance, and increases vagal sinus activity and baroreflex sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccirillo
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorucci
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petrocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moscucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Iorio
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mastropietri
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Parrotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anestesiological and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pascucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magrì
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: QT variability; aging; autonomic nervous system; heart rate variability; transcranial direct current stimulation