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Hemmerich K, Lupiáñez J, Martín-Arévalo E. HD-tDCS mitigates the executive vigilance decrement only under high cognitive demands. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7865. [PMID: 38570619 PMCID: PMC10991279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57917-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Maintaining vigilance is essential for many everyday tasks, but over time, our ability to sustain it inevitably decreases, potentially entailing severe consequences. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) has proven to be useful for studying and improving vigilance. This study explores if/how cognitive load affects the mitigatory effects of HD-tDCS on the vigilance decrement. Participants (N = 120) completed a modified ANTI-Vea task (single or dual load) while receiving either sham or anodal HD-tDCS over the right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC). This data was compared with data from prior studies (N = 120), where participants completed the standard ANTI-Vea task (triple load task), combined with the same HD-tDCS protocol. Against our hypotheses, both the single and dual load conditions showed a significant executive vigilance (EV) decrement, which was not affected by the application of rPPC HD-tDCS. On the contrary, the most cognitively demanding task (triple task) showed the greatest EV decrement; importantly, it was also with the triple task that a significant mitigatory effect of the HD-tDCS intervention was observed. The present study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the specific effects of HD-tDCS on the vigilance decrement considering cognitive demands. This can ultimately contribute to reconciling heterogeneous effects observed in past research and fine-tuning its future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Hemmerich
- Department of Experimental Psychology, and Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Juan Lupiáñez
- Department of Experimental Psychology, and Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Elisa Martín-Arévalo
- Department of Experimental Psychology, and Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
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2
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Kho SK, Keeble DRT, Wong HK, Estudillo AJ. Investigating the role of the fusiform face area and occipital face area using multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation. Neuropsychologia 2023; 189:108663. [PMID: 37611740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The functional role of the occipital face area (OFA) and the fusiform face area (FFA) in face recognition is inconclusive to date. While some research has shown that the OFA and FFA are involved in early (i.e., featural processing) and late (i.e., holistic processing) stages of face recognition respectively, other research suggests that both regions are involved in both early and late stages of face recognition. Thus, the current study aims to further examine the role of the OFA and the FFA using multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In Experiment 1, we used computer-generated faces. Thirty-five participants completed whole face and facial features (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth) recognition tasks after OFA and FFA stimulation in a within-subject design. No difference was found in recognition performance after either OFA or FFA stimulation. In Experiment 2 with 60 participants, we used real faces, provided stimulation following a between-subjects design and included a sham control group. Results showed that FFA stimulation led to enhanced efficiency of facial features recognition. Additionally, no effect of OFA stimulation was found for either facial feature or whole face recognition. These results suggest the involvement of FFA in the recognition of facial features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Kei Kho
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, UK; School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Malaysia.
| | | | - Hoo Keat Wong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Malaysia
| | - Alejandro J Estudillo
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, UK; School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Malaysia.
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3
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Watanabe A, Sawamura D, Nakazono H, Tokikuni Y, Miura H, Sugawara K, Fuyama K, Tohyama H, Yoshida S, Sakai S. Transcranial direct current stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex enhances early dexterity skills with the left non-dominant hand: a randomized controlled trial. J Transl Med 2023; 21:143. [PMID: 36823635 PMCID: PMC9951449 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-03989-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in early-phase manual dexterity skill acquisition when cognitive control processes, such as integration and complexity demands, are required. However, the effectiveness of left DLPFC transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on early-phase motor learning and whether its effectiveness depends on the cognitive demand of the target task are unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether tDCS over the left DLPFC improves non-dominant hand dexterity performance and determine if its efficacy depends on the cognitive demand of the target task. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, 70 healthy, right-handed, young adult participants were recruited. They were randomly allocated to the active tDCS (2 mA for 20 min) or sham groups and repeatedly performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) left-handed peg task and left-handed assembly task three times: pre-tDCS, during tDCS, and post tDCS. RESULTS The final sample comprised 66 healthy young adults (mean age, 22.73 ± 1.57 years). There were significant interactions between group and time in both PPT tasks, indicating significantly higher performance of those in the active tDCS group than those in the sham group post tDCS (p < 0.001). Moreover, a greater benefit was observed in the left-handed assembly task performance than in the peg task performance (p < 0.001). No significant correlation between baseline performance and benefits from tDCS was observed in either task. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrated that prefrontal tDCS significantly improved early-phase manual dexterity skill acquisition, and its benefits were greater for the task with high cognitive demands. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of the left DLPFC in the modulation of early-phase dexterity skill acquisition. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry in Japan (UMIN000046868), Registered February 8, 2022 https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000053467.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Watanabe
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812 Japan
| | - Daisuke Sawamura
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Hisato Nakazono
- grid.443459.b0000 0004 0374 9105Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medical Science, Fukuoka International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka, 814-0001 Japan
| | - Yukina Tokikuni
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Miura
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812 Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Sugawara
- grid.263171.00000 0001 0691 0855Department of Physical Therapy, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, 060-8556 Japan
| | - Kanako Fuyama
- grid.412167.70000 0004 0378 6088Data Science Center, Promotion Unit, Institute of Health Science Innovation for Medical Care, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, 060-8648 Japan
| | - Harukazu Tohyama
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0812 Japan
| | - Susumu Yoshida
- grid.412021.40000 0004 1769 5590Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, 061-0293 Japan
| | - Shinya Sakai
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0812 Japan
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4
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Huang J, Choo S, Pugh ZH, Nam CS. Evaluating Effective Connectivity of Trust in Human-Automation Interaction: A Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) Study. HUMAN FACTORS 2022; 64:1051-1069. [PMID: 33657902 DOI: 10.1177/0018720820987443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using dynamic causal modeling (DCM), we examined how credibility and reliability affected the way brain regions exert causal influence over each other-effective connectivity (EC)-in the context of trust in automation. BACKGROUND Multiple brain regions of the central executive network (CEN) and default mode network (DMN) have been implicated in trust judgment. However, the neural correlates of trust judgment are still relatively unexplored in terms of the directed information flow between brain regions. METHOD Sixteen participants observed the performance of four computer algorithms, which differed in credibility and reliability, of the system monitoring subtask of the Air Force Multi-Attribute Task Battery (AF-MATB). Using six brain regions of the CEN and DMN commonly identified to be activated in human trust, a total of 30 (forward, backward, and lateral) connection models were developed. Bayesian model averaging (BMA) was used to quantify the connectivity strength among the brain regions. RESULTS Relative to the high trust condition, low trust showed unique presence of specific connections, greater connectivity strengths from the prefrontal cortex, and greater network complexity. High trust condition showed no backward connections. CONCLUSION Results indicated that trust and distrust can be two distinctive neural processes in human-automation interaction-distrust being a more complex network than trust, possibly due to the increased cognitive load. APPLICATION The causal architecture of distributed brain regions inferred using DCM can help not only in the design of a balanced human-automation interface design but also in the proper use of automation in real-life situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Huang
- 6798 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | | | | | - Chang S Nam
- 6798 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
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5
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Patel R, Suwa Y, Kinross J, von Roon A, Woods AJ, Darzi A, Singh H, Leff DR. Neuroenhancement of surgeons during robotic suturing. Surg Endosc 2022; 36:4803-4814. [PMID: 34724587 PMCID: PMC9160107 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-021-08823-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The initial phases of robotic surgical skills acquisition are associated with poor technical performance, such as low knot-tensile strength (KTS). Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) can improve force and accuracy in motor tasks but research in surgery is limited to open and laparoscopic tasks in students. More recently, robotic surgery has gained traction and is now the most common approach for certain procedures (e.g. prostatectomy). Early-phase robotic suturing performance is dependent on prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation, and this study aimed to determine whether performance can be improved with prefrontal tDCS. METHODS Fifteen surgical residents were randomized to either active then sham tDCS or sham then active tDCS, in two counterbalanced sessions in a double-blind crossover study. Within each session, participants performed a robotic suturing task repeated in three blocks: pre-, intra- and post-tDCS. During the intra-tDCS block, participants were randomized to either active tDCS (2 mA for 15 min) to the PFC or sham tDCS. Primary outcome measures of technical quality included KTS and error scores. RESULTS Significantly faster completion times were observed longitudinally, regardless of active (p < 0.001) or sham stimulation (p < 0.001). KTS was greater following active compared to sham stimulation (median: active = 44.35 N vs. sham = 27.12 N, p < 0.001). A significant reduction in error scores from "pre-" to "post-" (p = 0.029) were only observed in the active group. CONCLUSION tDCS could reduce error and enhance KTS during robotic suturing and warrants further exploration as an adjunct to robotic surgical training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronak Patel
- Deparment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Yusuke Suwa
- Deparment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - James Kinross
- Deparment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Adam J Woods
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ara Darzi
- Deparment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Harsimrat Singh
- Deparment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Inter-Individual Variability in tDCS Effects: A Narrative Review on the Contribution of Stable, Variable, and Contextual Factors. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050522. [PMID: 35624908 PMCID: PMC9139102 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its safety, portability, and cheapness, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) use largely increased in research and clinical settings. Despite tDCS’s wide application, previous works pointed out inconsistent and low replicable results, sometimes leading to extreme conclusions about tDCS’s ineffectiveness in modulating behavioral performance across cognitive domains. Traditionally, this variability has been linked to significant differences in the stimulation protocols across studies, including stimulation parameters, target regions, and electrodes montage. Here, we reviewed and discussed evidence of heterogeneity emerging at the intra-study level, namely inter-individual differences that may influence the response to tDCS within each study. This source of variability has been largely neglected by literature, being results mainly analyzed at the group level. Previous research, however, highlighted that only a half—or less—of studies’ participants could be classified as responders, being affected by tDCS in the expected direction. Stable and variable inter-individual differences, such as morphological and genetic features vs. hormonal/exogenous substance consumption, partially account for this heterogeneity. Moreover, variability comes from experiments’ contextual elements, such as participants’ engagement/baseline capacity and individual task difficulty. We concluded that increasing knowledge on inter-dividual differences rather than undermining tDCS effectiveness could enhance protocols’ efficiency and reproducibility.
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Zapparoli L, Mariano M, Paulesu E. How the motor system copes with aging: a quantitative meta-analysis of the effect of aging on motor function control. Commun Biol 2022; 5:79. [PMID: 35058549 PMCID: PMC8776875 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor cognitive functions and their neurophysiology evolve and degrade along the lifespan in a dramatic fashion. Current models of how the brain adapts to aging remain inspired primarily by studies on memory or language processes. Yet, aging is strongly associated with reduced motor independence and the associated degraded interaction with the environment: accordingly, any neurocognitive model of aging not considering the motor system is, ipso facto, incomplete. Here we present a meta-analysis of forty functional brain-imaging studies to address aging effects on motor control. Our results indicate that motor control is associated with aging-related changes in brain activity, involving not only motoric brain regions but also posterior areas such as the occipito-temporal cortex. Notably, some of these differences depend on the specific nature of the motor task and the level of performance achieved by the participants. These findings support neurocognitive models of aging that make fewer anatomical assumptions while also considering tasks-dependent and performance-dependent manifestations. Besides the theoretical implications, the present data also provide additional information for the motor rehabilitation domain, indicating that motor control is a more complex phenomenon than previously understood, to which separate cognitive operations can contribute and decrease in different ways with aging. Many aspects of neuronal control degrade with ageing, including motor control. Using a meta-analysis of functional MRI images, it is made apparent that the ageing brain relies more on visual strategies than sensory stimuli to maintain motor function.
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Vergallito A, Gallucci A, Pisoni A, Punzi M, Caselli G, Ruggiero GM, Sassaroli S, Romero Lauro LJ. Effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis of sham or behaviour-controlled studies. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2021; 46:E592-E614. [PMID: 34753789 PMCID: PMC8580831 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.210050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The possibility of using noninvasive brain stimulation to treat mental disorders has received considerable attention recently. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are considered to be effective treatments for depressive symptoms. However, no treatment recommendation is currently available for anxiety disorders, suggesting that evidence is still limited. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of rTMS and tDCS in the treatment of anxiety disorders. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, we screened 3 electronic databases up to the end of February 2020 for English-language, peer-reviewed articles that included the following: a clinical sample of patients with an anxiety disorder, the use of a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, the inclusion of a control condition, and pre/post scores on a validated questionnaire that measured symptoms of anxiety. RESULTS Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria, comprising 154 participants assigned to a stimulation condition and 164 to a sham or control group. We calculated Hedge's g for scores on disorder-specific and general anxiety questionnaires before and after treatment to determine effect size, and we conducted 2 independent random-effects meta-analyses. Considering the well-known comorbidity between anxiety and depression, we ran a third meta-analysis analyzing outcomes for depression scores. Results showed a significant effect of noninvasive brain stimulation in reducing scores on disorder-specific and general anxiety questionnaires, as well as depressive symptoms, in the real stimulation compared to the control condition. LIMITATIONS Few studies met the inclusion criteria; more evidence is needed to strengthen conclusions about the effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anxiety disorders. CONCLUSION Our findings showed that noninvasive brain stimulation reduced anxiety and depression scores compared to control conditions, suggesting that it can alleviate clinical symptoms in patients with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alberto Pisoni
- From the Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy (Vergallito, Pisoni, Punzi, Romero Lauro); the Neuromi, Milan, Italy (Vergallito, Gallucci, Pisoni, Romero Lauro); the Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy (Gallucci); the Studi Cognitivi, Milan, Italy (Caselli, Ruggiero, Sassaroli); and the Faculty of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Milan, Italy (Caseli, Ruggiero, Sassaroli)
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9
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Vergallito A, Varoli E, Giustolisi B, Cecchetto C, Del Mauro L, Romero Lauro LJ. Mind the stimulation site: Enhancing and diminishing sentence comprehension with anodal tDCS. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 204:104757. [PMID: 32036293 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In a previous sham-controlled study, we showed the feasibility of increasing language comprehension in healthy participants by applying anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG). In the present work, we present a follow-up experiment targeting with atDCS the left inferior parietal cortex (LIPC) while participants performed the same auditory comprehension task used in our previous experiment. Both neural sites (LIFG and LIPC) are crucial hubs of Baddeley's model of verbal short-term memory (vSTM). AtDCS over LIPC decreased accuracy as compared to sham and LIFG stimulation, suggesting the involvement of this area in sentence comprehension. Crucially, our results highlighted that applying tDCS over different hubs of the same neural network can lead to opposite behavioural results, with relevant implications from a clinical perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Vergallito
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience, Neuromi, Italy
| | - Erica Varoli
- Milan Center for Neuroscience, Neuromi, Italy; Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; Psychology Service, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Cecchetto
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Université de Paris 8 & CNRS - UMR 7023 Structures Formelles du Langage, Paris, France
| | - Lilia Del Mauro
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Leonor J Romero Lauro
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience, Neuromi, Italy.
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Patel R, Ashcroft J, Patel A, Ashrafian H, Woods AJ, Singh H, Darzi A, Leff DR. The Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Upper-Limb Motor Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1213. [PMID: 31803003 PMCID: PMC6873898 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has previously been reported to improve facets of upper limb motor performance such as accuracy and strength. However, the magnitude of motor performance improvement has not been reviewed by contemporaneous systematic review or meta-analysis of sham vs. active tDCS. Objective: To systematically review and meta-analyse the existing evidence regarding the benefits of tDCS on upper limb motor performance in healthy adults. Methods: A systematic search was conducted to obtain relevant articles from three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO) yielding 3,200 abstracts. Following independent assessment by two reviewers, a total of 86 articles were included for review, of which 37 were deemed suitable for meta-analysis. Results: Meta-analyses were performed for four outcome measures, namely: reaction time (RT), execution time (ET), time to task failure (TTF), and force. Further qualitative review was performed for accuracy and error. Statistically significant improvements in RT (effect size −0.01; 95% CI −0.02 to 0.001, p = 0.03) and ET (effect size −0.03; 95% CI −0.05 to −0.01, p = 0.017) were demonstrated compared to sham. In exercise tasks, increased force (effect size 0.10; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.13, p < 0.001) and a trend towards improved TTF was also observed. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides evidence attesting to the impact of tDCS on upper limb motor performance in healthy adults. Improved performance is demonstrable in reaction time, task completion time, elbow flexion tasks and accuracy. Considerable heterogeneity exists amongst the literature, further confirming the need for a standardised approach to reporting tDCS studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronak Patel
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James Ashcroft
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ashish Patel
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hutan Ashrafian
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam J Woods
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Harsimrat Singh
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ara Darzi
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Richard Leff
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Lo Gerfo E, Gallucci A, Morese R, Vergallito A, Ottone S, Ponzano F, Locatelli G, Bosco F, Romero Lauro LJ. The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction in third-party punishment behavior. Neuroimage 2019; 200:501-510. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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12
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Deng ID, Chung L, Talwar N, Tam F, Churchill NW, Schweizer TA, Graham SJ. Functional MRI of Letter Cancellation Task Performance in Older Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:97. [PMID: 31057377 PMCID: PMC6477506 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Letter Cancellation Task (LCT) is a widely used pen-and-paper probe of attention in clinical and research settings. Despite its popularity, the neural correlates of the task are not well understood. The present study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and specialized tablet technology to identify the neural correlates of the LCT in 32 healthy older adults between 50-85 years of age, and further investigates the effect of healthy aging on performance. Subjects performed the LCT in its standard pen-and-paper administration and with the tablet during fMRI. Performance on the tablet was significantly slower than on pen-and-paper, with both response modes showing slower performance as a function of age. Across all ages, bilateral brain activation was observed in the cerebellum, superior temporal lobe, precentral gyrus, frontal gyrus, and occipital and parietal areas. Increasing age correlated with reduced brain activity in the supplementary motor area, middle occipital gyrus, medial and inferior frontal gyrus, cerebellum and putamen. Better LCT performance was correlated with increased activity in the middle frontal gyrus, and reduced activity in the cerebellum. The brain regions activated are associated with visuospatial attention and motor control, and are consistent with the neural correlates of LCT performance previously identified in lesion studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy D Deng
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luke Chung
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Natasha Talwar
- Neuroscience Research Program, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fred Tam
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nathan W Churchill
- Neuroscience Research Program, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tom A Schweizer
- Neuroscience Research Program, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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13
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Zapparoli L, Gandola M, Banfi G, Paulesu E. A Breakdown of Imagined Visuomotor Transformations and Its Neural Correlates in Young Elderly Subjects. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:1682-1696. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Banfi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
- University Vita e Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
- Psychology Department & Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Berlingeri M, Carioti D, Danelli L, Lo Gerfo E. As Time Goes by: A rTMS Study on Age-Related Changes in Sentence Comprehension. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:307. [PMID: 30425635 PMCID: PMC6218587 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that off-line sentence judgment tasks (oSJTs) typically rely on phonological working memory (WM), beyond specific linguistic processing. Nevertheless, empirical findings suggest that a juvenile level of performance in an oSJT could be associated with the recruitment of age-specific additional supportive neural network in healthy aging. In particular, in one of our previous study, healthy elderlies showed the additional activation of associative visual cortices when compared with young controls. We suggested that age-related hyperactivations, during an auditory sentence judgment task, might represent the neurofunctional correlate of the recruitment of compensatory strategies that are necessary to maintain a juvenile level of performance. To explicitly test this hypothesis we adopted repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Twelve healthy elderlies and 12 young participants were engaged in an off-line semantic plausibility judgment task while rTMS was delivered over: (1) the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG; i.e., a core region of the WM network); (2) the precuneus; and (3) a Control Site (vertex). Results showed a significant main effect of Stimulation Site and a significant Group-by-Stimulation Site interaction effect. In particular, the rTMS stimulation of the LIFG slowed down reaction times (RTs) both in young and healthy elderly participants, while only healthy elderlies showed an increment of RTs during the stimulation of the precuneus. Taken together our results further support the idea that the maintenance of a juvenile level of performance in graceful aging may be associated with task-specific compensatory processes that would manifest them-selves, from the neurofunctional point of view, by the recruitment of additional neural supportive regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Berlingeri
- DISTUM, Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Urbino Carlo BoUrbino, Italy
- NeuroMi, Milan Center for NeuroscienceMilan, Italy
- Center of Developmental Neuropsychology, ASUR MarchePesaro, Italy
| | - Desiré Carioti
- DISTUM, Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Urbino Carlo BoUrbino, Italy
| | - Laura Danelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-BicoccaMilan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Lo Gerfo
- NeuroMi, Milan Center for NeuroscienceMilan, Italy
- Department of Economics, Management and Statistics, University of Milano-BicoccaMilan, Italy
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