scholarly journals Shocking the brain to regain motor function : a non-invasive therapy for stroke patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 20-22
Author(s):  
Michael Min Wah Leung
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Interhemispheric Inhibition ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Sensory Deficits ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Brain

Invasive treatments and its associated risks are important factors of concern when the conditions are affecting the nervous system. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique that stimulates brain areas through the scalp and has excitatory or inhibitory neuromodulatory effects. In the context of stroke patients, recovery is often impaired from the increased inhibition of the damaged area from the unaffected hemisphere. Fujimoto et al. uses dual-hemisphere transcranial direct current stimulation to address this interhemispheric inhibition and demonstrates that stroke patients were able to periodically restore sensory deficits. 

scholarly journals Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex influences perceived pleasantness of food

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C Anderson ◽  
Julie Cantelon ◽  
Amanda Holmes ◽  
Grace Giles ◽  
Tad Brunye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Sham Stimulation ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

The ability to regulate the intake of unhealthy foods is critical in modern, calorie dense food environments. Frontal areas of the brain, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), are thought to play a central role in cognitive control and emotional regulation. Therefore, increasing activity in the DLPFC may enhance these functions which could improve the ability to reappraise and resist consuming highly palatable but unhealthy foods. One technique for modifying brain activity is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive technique for modulating neuronal excitability that can influence performance on a range of cognitive tasks. We tested whether tDCS targeting the DLPFC would influence how people perceived highly palatable foods. In the present study, 98 participants were randomly assigned to receive a single session of active tDCS or sham stimulation. While receiving active or sham stimulation, participants viewed images of highly palatable foods and reported how pleasant it would be to eat each food (liking) and how strong their urge was to eat each food (wanting). We found that participants who received active versus sham tDCS stimulation perceived food as less pleasant, but there was no difference in how strong their urge was to eat the foods. Our findings suggest that modulating excitability in the DLPFC influences “liking” but not “wanting” of highly palatable foods. Non-invasive brain stimulation might be a useful technique for influencing the hedonic experience of eating and might have implications for changing food consumption.

scholarly journals Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as an intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic offenders: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Silva Sergiou ◽  
Adam J Woods ◽  
Ingmar H.A. Franken ◽  
Josanne D.M. van Dongen
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Sham Stimulation ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Abstract Background Recent studies show that changes in one of the brain areas related to empathic abilities (i.e. the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC)) plays an important role in violent behavior in abusers of alcohol and cocaine. According to the models of James Blair, empathy is a potential inhibitor of violent behavior. Individuals with less empathic abilities may be less susceptible and motivated to inhibit violent behavior, which causes a higher risk of violence. Recent neuroscientific research shows that modulating (stimulation or inhibition) certain brain areas could be a promising new intervention for substance abuse and to reduce violent behavior, such as the neurostimulation technique Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). This study aims to investigate tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance use offenders. Methods/design A total sample of 50 male forensic substance abuse patients (25 active + 25 sham stimulation) will be tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, from which half of the patients will receive an active stimulation + treatment as usual (TAU) and the other half will receive a sham stimulation (placebo) + TAU. The patients in the active condition will receive multichannel tDCS stimulation targeting bilateral vmPFC two times a day for 20 minutes for five consecutive days. Before and after the stimulation period, the patients will complete self-report measurements, perform the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) and a passive viewing empathy task. Resting state electroencephalography (rsEEG) will be measured before and after the treatment period. A follow-up will be conducted after six months. Primary outcome is to investigate multichannel tDCS as a new intervention to increase empathic abilities and wit that reduce violent behavior in offenders with substance abuse problems. In addition, it will be studied whether electrophysiological responses in the brain are affected by the tDCS intervention. Lastly the effects of tDCS on reducing craving will be investigated. Discussion This study is one of the first studies using multichannel tDCS targeting the vmPFC in a forensic sample. This study will explore the opportunities to introduce a new intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violence in forensic substance use offenders. Specifically, this study may give insight in how to implement the tDCS intervention in the setting of daily clinical practice for this complex, multiple problem target group and with that contribute to reduction of recidivism. Trial registration Dutch Trial Register, identifier: NTR7701. Registered on 12 January 2019; prospectively registered before the recruitment phase. Recruitment started on the 1st of February 2019 and approximitaly will be finished in the winter of 2019. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7459.| Protcol version 1. 22th of May 2019.

Transcranial direct current stimulation improves tactile discrimination in stroke patients

Physiotherapy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. e428-e429 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fujimoto ◽  
N. Kon ◽  
Y. Otaka ◽  
T. Yamaguchi ◽  
R. Osu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Tactile Discrimination ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation

Prefrontal Cortex Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment in Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (PreCoTTA): Study Protocol for a Double-Blind Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anagha S. Deshmukh ◽  
Samir Kumar Praharaj ◽  
Shweta Rai ◽  
Asha Kamath ◽  
Dinesh Upadhya
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Alcohol Dependence Syndrome

Background: Alcohol dependence is a significant public health problem, contributing to the global health burden. Due to its immense socio-economic burden, various psychosocial, psychological, and pharmacological approaches have attempted to alter the behaviour of the patient misusing or abusing alcohol, but their efficacy is modest at best. Therefore, there is a search for newer treatment approaches, including noninvasive brain stimulation in the management of alcohol dependence. We plan to study the efficacy of Prefrontal Cortex Transcranial direct current stimulation Treatment in Alcohol dependence syndrome (PreCoTTA). Methods: Two hundred twenty-five male patients with alcohol dependence syndrome will be randomized into the three study arms (2 active, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left orbitofrontal cortex, and 1 sham) to receive a total of 14 tDCS sessions (10 continuous and 4 booster sessions). Data will be collected from them at five different time points on clinical, neuropsychological and biochemical parameters. In addition, 225 healthy age and education matched controls will be administered the neuropsychological test battery at baseline for comparison with the patient group. Discussion: The proposed study aims to explore the use of non-invasive brain stimulation; tDCS as a treatment alternative. We also aim to overcome the methodological gaps of limited sample sizes, fewer tDCS intervention sessions, lack of long term follow ups to measure the sustainability of gains and lack comprehensive measures to track changes in functioning and abstinence after tDCS intervention. The main outcomes include clinical (reduction in cue-induced craving, time to first drink and QFI); neuropsychological (risk-taking, impulsivity, and other neuropsychological domains) and biochemical markers (BDNF, leptin and adiponectin). The findings of the study will have translational value as it may help to improve the clinician’s ability to effectively manage craving in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Furthermore, we will have a better understanding of the neuropsychological and biochemical effects of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques which are of interest in the comprehensive treatment of addiction disorders. Trial registration: The study has been registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2020/09/027582) on September 03rd 2020.

Use of transcranial direct current stimulation in poststroke postural imbalance

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e243212
Author(s):  
Tadayasu Tonomura ◽  
Takeshi Satow ◽  
Yuko Hyuga ◽  
Tatsuya Mima
Keyword(s):  
Subarachnoid Haemorrhage ◽  
Treatment Option ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Gait Disturbance ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Novel Treatment ◽  
Parietal Area ◽  
Postural Imbalance

Independent gait following stroke is ultimate goal of rehabilitation. Non-invasive neuromodulation achieving it has never been reported. A 74-year-old woman suffered from subarachnoid haemorrhage, followed by hydrocephalus. Both were treated successfully. Even 1 year after the ictus, ambulation was difficult due to truncal instability with lateropulsion mainly to the left side. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was applied to the parietal area (2mA for 20 min/day; anode on left side, cathode on right) for 16 days. The intervention improved her truncal instability and she achieved independent gait. tDCS of the parietal area could be a novel treatment option for gait disturbance due to postural instability following stroke.

Converging Evidence That Neural Plasticity Underlies Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-157
Author(s):  
Chong Zhao ◽  
Geoffrey F. Woodman
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Visual Stream ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
The Brain

It is not definitely known how direct-current stimulation causes its long-lasting effects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the long time course of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is because of the electrical field increasing the plasticity of the brain tissue. If this is the case, then we should see tDCS effects when humans need to encode information into long-term memory, but not at other times. We tested this hypothesis by delivering tDCS to the ventral visual stream of human participants during different tasks (i.e., recognition memory vs. visual search) and at different times during a memory task. We found that tDCS improved memory encoding, and the neural correlates thereof, but not retrieval. We also found that tDCS did not change the efficiency of information processing during visual search for a certain target object, a task that does not require the formation of new connections in the brain but instead relies on attention and object recognition mechanisms. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that direct-current stimulation modulates brain activity by changing the underlying plasticity of the tissue.

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