Does the Longer Application of Anodal-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Increase Corticomotor Excitability Further? A Pilot Study

Does the Longer Application of Anodal-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Increase Corticomotor Excitability Further? A Pilot Study

Blog Article

Introduction: Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) has been shown to be effective in increasing Universal Griller Knob corticomotor excitability.Methods: We investigated whether longer applications of a-tDCS coincide with greater increases in corticomotor excitability compared to shorter application of a-tDCS.Ten right-handed healthy participants received one session of a-tDCS (1mA current) with shorter (10 min) and longer (10+10 min) stimulation durations applied to the left M1 of extensor carpi radialis muscle (ECR).Corticomotor excitability following application of a-tDCS was assessed at rest with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) elicited motor evoked potentials (MEP) and compared with baseline data for each participant.

Results: MEP amplitudes were increased following 10 min of a-tDCS by 67% (p = 0.001) with a further increase (32%) after the second 10 min of a-tDCS Switch Overlay (p = 0.005).MEP amplitudes remained elevated at 15 min post stimulation compared to baseline values by 65% (p = 0.

02).Discussion: The results demonstrate that longer application of a-tDCS within the recommended safety limits, increases corticomotor excitability with after effects of up to 15 minutes post stimulation.