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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Simultaneous Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 27, 2014
Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation coupled with repetitive electrical stimulation on cortical
Felipe Fregni1, David Liebetanz, Katia K Monte-Silva
1Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, KS 452, Boston, MA 02215, USA. ffregni@bidmc.harvard.edu
Abstract:
We have recently shown that two techniques of brain stimulation - repetitive electrical stimulation (ES) (that mimics transcranial magnetic stimulation) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - modify the velocity of cortical spreading depression (CSD) significantly. Herein we aimed to study the effects of these two techniques combined on CSD. Thirty-two Wistar rats were divided into four groups according to the treatment: sham tDCS/sham ES, sham tDCS/1 Hz ES, anodal tDCS/1 Hz ES, cathodal tDCS/1 Hz ES. Our findings show that 1 Hz ES reduced CSD velocity, and this effect was modified by either anodal or cathodal tDCS. Anodal tDCS induced larger effects than cathodal tDCS. Hereby CSD velocity was actually increased significantly after anodal tDCS/1 Hz ES. Our results show that combining two techniques of brain stimulation can modify significantly the effects of ES alone on cortical excitability as measured by the neurophysiological parameter of cortical spreading depression and therefore provide important insights into the effects of this new approach of brain stimulation on cortical activity.
