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Mugnol-Ugarte L, Bortolini T, Yao B, Mikkelsen M, Carneiro Monteiro M, Andorinho de Freitas Ferreira AC, Bramatti I, Melo B, Hoefle S, Meireles F, Moll J, Pobric G. Transcranial electrical stimulation modulates emotional experience and metabolites in the prefrontal cortex in a donation task. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14271. [PMID: 38902321 PMCID: PMC11190244 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64876-x] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural, metabolic, and psychological mechanisms underlying human altruism and decision-making is a complex and important topic both for science and society. Here, we investigated whether transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied to two prefrontal cortex regions, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC, anode) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, cathode) can induce changes in self-reported emotions and to modulate local metabolite concentrations. We employed in vivo quantitative MR Spectroscopy in healthy adult participants and quantified changes in GABA and Glx (glutamate + glutamine) before and after five sessions of tDCS delivered at 2 mA for 20 min (active group) and 1 min (sham group) while participants were engaged in a charitable donation task. In the active group, we observed increased levels of GABA in vmPFC. Glx levels decreased in both prefrontal regions and self-reported happiness increased significantly over time in the active group. Self-reported guiltiness in both active and sham groups tended to decrease. The results indicate that self-reported happiness can be modulated, possibly due to changes in Glx concentrations following repeated stimulation. Therefore, local changes may induce remote changes in the reward network through interactions with other metabolites, previously thought to be unreachable with noninvasive stimulation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Mugnol-Ugarte
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bo Yao
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Mikkelsen
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, United States of America
| | - Marina Carneiro Monteiro
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Ivanei Bramatti
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Melo
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Hoefle
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Meireles
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gorana Pobric
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Kraft JN, Indahlastari A, Boutzoukas EM, Hausman HK, Hardcastle C, Albizu A, O'Shea A, Evangelista ND, Van Etten EJ, Bharadwaj PK, Song H, Smith SG, DeKosky ST, Hishaw GA, Wu S, Marsiske M, Cohen R, Alexander GE, Porges E, Woods AJ. The impact of a tDCS and cognitive training intervention on task-based functional connectivity. GeroScience 2024; 46:3325-3339. [PMID: 38265579 PMCID: PMC11009202 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01077-4] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Declines in several cognitive domains, most notably processing speed, occur in non-pathological aging. Given the exponential growth of the older adult population, declines in cognition serve as a significant public health issue that must be addressed. Promising studies have shown that cognitive training in older adults, particularly using the useful field of view (UFOV) paradigm, can improve cognition with moderate to large effect sizes. Additionally, meta-analyses have found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, can improve cognition in attention/processing speed and working memory. However, only a handful of studies have looked at concomitant tDCS and cognitive training, usually with short interventions and small sample sizes. The current study assessed the effect of a tDCS (active versus sham) and a 3-month cognitive training intervention on task-based functional connectivity during completion of the UFOV task in a large older adult sample (N = 153). We found significant increased functional connectivity between the left and right pars triangularis (the ROIs closest to the electrodes) following active, but not sham tDCS. Additionally, we see trending behavioral improvements associated with these functional connectivity changes in the active tDCS group, but not sham. Collectively, these findings suggest that tDCS and cognitive training can be an effective modulator of task-based functional connectivity above and beyond a cognitive training intervention alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Kraft
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Aprinda Indahlastari
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emanuel M Boutzoukas
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hanna K Hausman
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cheshire Hardcastle
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alejandro Albizu
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrew O'Shea
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicole D Evangelista
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emily J Van Etten
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Pradyumna K Bharadwaj
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Hyun Song
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samantha G Smith
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Steven T DeKosky
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Georg A Hishaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samuel Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael Marsiske
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ronald Cohen
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gene E Alexander
- McKnight Brain Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Eric Porges
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Adam J Woods
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1249 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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D'Urso G, Toscano E, Barone A, Palermo M, Dell'Osso B, Di Lorenzo G, Mantovani A, Martinotti G, Fornaro M, Iasevoli F, de Bartolomeis A. Transcranial direct current stimulation for bipolar depression: systematic reviews of clinical evidence and biological underpinnings. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 121:110672. [PMID: 36332699 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite multiple available treatments for bipolar depression (BD), many patients face sub-optimal responses. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been advocated in the management of different conditions, including BD, especially in treatment-resistant cases. The optimal dose and timing of tDCS, the mutual influence with other concurrently administered interventions, long-term efficacy, overall safety, and biological underpinnings nonetheless deserve additional assessment. The present study appraised the existing clinical evidence about tDCS for bipolar depression, delving into the putative biological underpinnings with a special emphasis on cellular and molecular levels, with the ultimate goal of providing a translational perspective on the matter. Two separate systematic reviews across the PubMed database since inception up to August 8th 2022 were performed, with fourteen clinical and nineteen neurobiological eligible studies. The included clinical studies encompass 207 bipolar depression patients overall and consistently document the efficacy of tDCS, with a reduction in depression scores after treatment ranging from 18% to 92%. The RCT with the largest sample clearly showed a significant superiority of active stimulation over sham. Mild-to-moderate and transient adverse effects are attributed to tDCS across these studies. The review of neurobiological literature indicates that several molecular mechanisms may account for the antidepressant effect of tDCS in BD patients, including the action on calcium homeostasis in glial cells, the enhancement of LTP, the regulation of neurotrophic factors and inflammatory mediators, and the modulation of the expression of plasticity-related genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the matter to concurrently provide a synthesis of the clinical evidence and an in-depth appraisal of the putative biological underpinnings, providing consistent support for the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of tDCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano D'Urso
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Elena Toscano
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Annarita Barone
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Mario Palermo
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco, Ospedale Luigi Sacco Polo Universitario, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milan, Italy; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Stanford University, CA, USA; CRC "Aldo Ravelli" for Neuro-technology & Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Di Lorenzo
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy; Psychiatric and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Mantovani
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Scienze della Salute "V. Tiberio" Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy; Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e delle Dipendenze, Azienda Sanitaria Regionale del Molise (ASReM), Campobasso, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, Clinical Sciences, University Gabriele d'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Clinical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Herts, UK
| | - Michele Fornaro
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Felice Iasevoli
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Unit of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Clinical Department of Head and Neck, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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6
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Pilloni G, Charvet LE, Bikson M, Palekar N, Kim MJ. Potential of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease: Optimizing Trials Toward Clinical Use. J Clin Neurol 2022; 18:391-400. [PMID: 35796264 PMCID: PMC9262447 DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2022.18.4.391] [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: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe and well-tolerated noninvasive method for stimulating the brain that is rapidly developing into a treatment method for various neurological and psychiatric conditions. In particular, there is growing evidence of a therapeutic role for tDCS in ameliorating or delaying the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We provide a brief overview of the current development and application status of tDCS as a nonpharmacological therapeutic method for AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), summarize the levels of evidence, and identify the improvements needed for clinical applications. We also suggest future directions for large-scale controlled clinical trials of tDCS in AD and MCI, and emphasize the necessity of identifying the mechanistic targets to facilitate clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Pilloni
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leigh E Charvet
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marom Bikson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, City University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Nikhil Palekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Min-Jeong Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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