Differential response to anodal tDCS and PAS is indicative of impaired focal LTP-like plasticity in schizophrenia.

Increasing evidence suggests that neural plasticity impairments, observed in schizophrenia patients, are driven by dysfunctional integration of neural signaling. However, what is less clear is whether this impairment is resultant from a general deficit in plastic induction or whether a specific plastic mechanism is affected. In the current study we aimed to assess whether schizophrenia has a selective impact on focal or non-focal plasticity induction.

Modulation of Total Sleep Time by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).

Arousal and sleep are fundamental physiological processes, and their modulation is of high clinical significance. This study tested the hypothesis that total sleep time (TST) in humans can be modulated by the non-invasive brain stimulation technique transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting a 'top-down' cortico-thalamic pathway of sleep-wake regulation. Nineteen healthy participants underwent a within-subject, repeated-measures protocol across five nights in the sleep laboratory with polysomnographic monitoring (adaptation, baseline, three experimental nights).

Opportunities for Guided Multichannel Non-invasive Transcranial Current Stimulation in Poststroke Rehabilitation.

Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability worldwide. Functional outcome depends on stroke location, severity, and early intervention. Conventional rehabilitation strategies have limited effectiveness, and new treatments still fail to keep pace, in part due to a lack of understanding of the different stages in brain recovery and the vast heterogeneity in the poststroke population.

Transcranial direct current stimulation associated with gait training in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized clinical trial.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with cueing gait training (CGT) on functional mobility in patients with Parkinson´s disease (PD).

Methods: A pilot double-blind controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 22 patients with PD assigned to the experimental (anodal tDCS plus CGT) and control group (sham tDCS plus CGT). The primary outcome (functional mobility) was assessed by 10-m walk test, cadence, stride length, and Timed Up and Go test.

Anodal-tDCS over the human right occipital cortex enhances the perception and memory of both faces and objects.

Accurate face processing skills are pivotal for typical social cognition, and impairments in this ability characterise various clinical conditions (e.g., prosopagnosia).

How electrode montage affects transcranial direct current stimulation of the human motor cortex.

Several different electrode configurations were originally proposed to induce excitability changes in the hand area of the motor cortex in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). However only one was found to efficiently affect cortical excitability: anode/cathode over the primary motor cortex and return electrode placed over the contralateral orbit (M-CF configuration). In this work we used the finite element method to calculate the electric field (E-field) induced in a realistic human head model in all the proposed electrode configurations.

Impact of antipsychotic medication on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effects in schizophrenia patients.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has generated interest as a treatment modality for schizophrenia. Dopamine, a critical pathogenetic link in schizophrenia, is also known to influence tDCS effects. We evaluated the influence of antipsychotic drug type (as defined by dopamine D2 receptor affinity) on the impact of tDCS in schizophrenia.

Mechanisms of Nicotinic Modulation of Glutamatergic Neuroplasticity in Humans.

The impact of nicotine (NIC) on plasticity is thought to be primarily determined via calcium channel properties of nicotinic receptor subtypes, and glutamatergic plasticity is likewise calcium-dependent. Therefore glutamatergic plasticity is likely modulated by the impact of nicotinic receptor-dependent neuronal calcium influx. We tested this hypothesis for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-induced long-term potentiation-like plasticity, which is abolished by NIC in nonsmokers.

Efficacy of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is Related to Sensitivity to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has become an important non-invasive brain stimulation tool for basic human brain physiology and cognitive neuroscience, with potential applications in cognitive and motor rehabilitation. To date, tDCS studies have employed a fixed stimulation level, without considering the impact of individual anatomy and physiology on the efficacy of the stimulation. This approach contrasts with the standard procedure for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) where stimulation levels are usually tailored on an individual basis.

Increasing the role of belief information in moral judgments by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction.

Morality plays a vital role in our social life. A vast body of research has suggested that moral judgments rely on cognitive processes mediated by the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), an area thought to be involved in belief attribution. Here we assessed the role of the rTPJ in moral judgments directly by means of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)--a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that, by applying a weak current to the scalp, allows modulating cortical excitability of the area being stimulated.

Chronic Enhancement of Serotonin Facilitates Excitatory Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation-Induced Neuroplasticity.

Serotonin affects memory formation via modulating long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD). Accordingly, acute selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) administration enhanced LTP-like plasticity induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in humans. However, it usually takes some time for SSRI to reduce clinical symptoms such as anxiety, negative mood, and related symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.

Reprint of: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - Application in neuropsychology.

Non-invasive brain stimulation is a versatile tool to modulate psychological processes via alterations of brain activity, and excitability. It is applied to explore the physiological basis of cognition and behavior, as well as to reduce clinical symptoms in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Neuromodulatory brain stimulation via transcranial direct currents (tDCS) has gained increased attention recently.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Targeted Prefrontal Cortex Modulation with Bilateral tDCS in Patients with Crack-Cocaine Dependence.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has been shown to be clinically useful in the treatment of drug addiction.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind randomized clinical trial aiming to assess the effects of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (left cathodal/right anodal) on crack-cocaine addiction. We defined craving as the primary outcome, and other clinical measurements, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life, as secondary outcomes.

The limb-specific embodiment of a tool following experience.

The present study was designed to investigate the incorporation of tools into the human body schema. Previous research on tool use suggests that through physical interaction with a tool, the representation of the body is adjusted to incorporate or "embody" the tool. The present experiment was conducted to test the limb-specific nature of tool embodiment.

Reducing Prejudice Through Brain Stimulation.

Background: Social categorization and group identification are essential ingredients for maintaining a positive self-image that often lead to negative, implicit stereotypes toward members of an out-group. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) may be a critical component in counteracting stereotypes activation.

Objective: Here, we assessed the causal role of the mPFC in these processes by non-invasive brain stimulation via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Recurrence quantification analysis of surface electromyogram supports alterations in motor unit recruitment strategies by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation.

Purpose: Recent evidence indicates that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can selectively alter the EMG/force relationship of agonist arm muscles; however, the mechanisms mediating those changes are less clear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of anodal tDCS on motor unit synchronization by using a sophisticated non-linear EMG analysis called recurrence quantification analysis (RQA).

Methods: Surface EMG signals were collected from the biceps brachii muscle of eighteen healthy young adults (9 tDCS and 9 control) at various force levels (12.

Double dissociation of working memory and attentional processes in smokers and non-smokers with and without nicotine.

Nicotine has been shown to affect cortical excitability measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation in smoking and non-smoking subjects in different ways. In tobacco-deprived smokers, administration of nicotine restores compromised cortical facilitation while in non-smokers, it enhances cortical inhibition. As cortical excitability and activity are closely linked to cognitive processes, we aimed to explore whether nicotine-induced physiological alterations in non-smokers and smokers are associated with cognitive changes.

EEG-NIRS based assessment of neurovascular coupling during anodal transcranial direct current stimulation--a stroke case series.

A method for electroencephalography (EEG) - near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) based assessment of neurovascular coupling (NVC) during anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Anodal tDCS modulates cortical neural activity leading to a hemodynamic response, which was used to identify impaired NVC functionality. In this study, the hemodynamic response was estimated with NIRS.

Exploring prefrontal cortex functions in healthy humans by transcranial electrical stimulation.

The prefrontal cortex is involved in a multitude of cognitive, emotional, motivational, and social processes, so exploring its specific functions is crucial for understanding human experience and behavior. Functional imaging approaches have largely contributed to the enhancement of our understanding, but might have limitations in establishing causal relationships between physiology and the related psychological and behavioral processes. Non-invasive electrical stimulation with direct or alternating currents can help to enhance our understanding with regard to specific processes, and might provide future protocols able to improve them in case of malfunctions.