Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Modulation of Executive Function in Health and Disease

Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of neuromodulation used in human basic and clinical neuroscience. In this article we review its use in the cognitive neurosciences to study executive function, and current preliminary explorations of its therapeutic value as a cognitive enhancer for patients with compromised dysexecutive symptoms. We discuss published studies analyzing their methodology and results. A number of experiments describe improvement in experimental measures of inhibitory control, working memory, and verbal fluency with anodal stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Positive findings are also described in different clinical populations. Despite the growing promise and interest in tDCS given its safety, simplicity, and low cost, findings are not always consistent across studies due to a host of variables we discuss (study design, stimulation parameters, neuroanatomy, genetics, etc.), highlighting the need for a better mechanistic understanding of the effects of tDCS.
Source: Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research