Neuroimaging Guided Transcranial Electrical Stimulation in Enhancing Surgical Skill Acquisition. Comment on Hung et al. The Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Enhancing Surgical Skill Acquisition: A Preliminary Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Brain Sci. 2021, 11, 707

Surgical skill acquisition may be facilitated with a safe application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). A preliminary meta-analysis of randomized control trials showed that tDCS was associated with significantly better improvement in surgical performance than the sham control; however, meta-analysis does not address the mechanistic understanding. It is known from skill learning studies that the hierarchy of cognitive control shows a rostrocaudal axis in the frontal lobe where a shift from posterior to anterior is postulated to mediate progressively abstract, higher-order control. Therefore, optimizing the transcranial electrical stimulation to target surgical task-related brain activation at different stages of motor learning may provide the causal link to the learning behavior. This comment paper presents the computational approach for neuroimaging guided tDCS based on open-source software pipelines and an open-data of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for complex motor tasks. We performed an fNIRS-based cortical activation analysis using AtlasViewer software that was used as the target for tDCS of the motor complexity-related brain regions using ROAST software. For future studies on surgical skill training, it is postulated that the higher complexity laparoscopic suturing with intracorporeal knot tying task may result in more robust activation of the motor complexity-related brain areas when compared to the lower complexity laparoscopic tasks.

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T188. THE CLINICAL SCIENCE OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION STUDIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.748 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S303-S303

Author(s):

Joshua Mervis ◽

Angus MacDonald

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Study Characteristics

Abstract Background Transcranial direct current stimulation interventions have produced findings that inform clinical neuroscience, and may have potential as a treatment for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia-spectrum illnesses. The first recorded study of tDCS in this population was in 1994 and every year since then has seen growth in the number of studies conducted, with 15+ studies each year since 2013. This project is a meta-analysis of studies using transcranial direct current stimulation in people with schizophrenia-spectrum illnesses and any domain of cognition. Methods Search terms sought out articles in populations with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, schizotypal, schizoid, unspecified psychosis, and thought disorder illnesses. Within these populations, non-invasive electrical stimulation terms included transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS, and transcranial electrical stimulation. Within those studies, cognitive terms included working memory, memory, cognitive control, executive function, attention, recall, recognition, perception, learning, cognition, inhibition, and executive control. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Results 177 Articles were located through a literature search using the PubMed database. 39 studies were screened out by title, 102 studies were screened out by abstract, 7 studies were screened out by text. Finally, 29 studies were subjected to meta-analysis. Discussion While the research on transcranial direct current stimulation continues to develop, the current study highlights methodological trends like studies with stimulation concurrent to task and those using training approaches. Overall effects are summarized by defining study characteristics and cognitive domains, where appropriate.

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The Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Enhancing Surgical Skill Acquisition: A Preliminary Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11060707 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 707

Author(s):

Chao-Ming Hung ◽

Bing-Yan Zeng ◽

Bing-Syuan Zeng ◽

Cheuk-Kwan Sun ◽

Yu-Shian Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Skill Acquisition ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Surgical Skill ◽

Sham Control ◽

Surgical Performance ◽

Randomized Controlled

The application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to targeted cortices has been found to improve in skill acquisition; however, these beneficial effects remained unclear in fine and complicated skill. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the association between tDCS application and the efficacy of surgical performance during surgical skill training. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of tDCS in enhancing surgical skill acquisition. This meta-analysis was conducted under a random-effect model. Six RCTs with 198 participants were included. The main result revealed that tDCS was associated with significantly better improvement in surgical performance than the sham control (Hedges’ g = 0.659, 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) = 0.383 to 0.935, p < 0.001). The subgroups of tDCS over the bilateral prefrontal cortex (Hedges’ g = 0.900, 95%CIs = 0.419 to 1.382, p < 0.001) and the primary motor cortex (Hedges’ g = 0.599, 95%CIs = 0.245 to 0.953, p = 0.001) were both associated with significantly better improvements in surgical performance. The tDCS application was not associated with significant differences in error scores or rates of local discomfort compared with a sham control. This meta-analysis supported the rationale for the tDCS application in surgical training programs to improve surgical skill acquisition.

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Working Memory Training and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Cognitive and Working Memory Training ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199974467.003.0006 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 105-130

Author(s):

Jacky Au ◽

Martin Buschkuehl ◽

Susanne M. Jaeggi

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

The Brain

The aim of this chapter is to contribute to the discussion of the cognitive neuroscience of brain stimulation. In doing so, the authors emphasize work from their own laboratory that focuses both on working memory training and transcranial direct current stimulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation is one of the most commonly used and extensively researched methods of transcranial electrical stimulation. The chapter focuses on implementation of transcranial direct current stimulation to enhance and inform research on working memory training, and not on the underlying mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation. Thus, while respecting the intricacies and unknowns of the inner workings of electrical stimulation on the brain, the chapter relies on the premise that transcranial direct current stimulation is able to directly affect the electrophysiological profile of the brain and provides evidence that this in turn can influence behavior given the right parameters.

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