Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Updated Technique for Reliable, Easy, and Tolerated Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Including Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Published on: January 3, 2020
Transcranial direct current stimulation of the motor cortex induces distinct changes in thermal and mechanical
Cornelius G Bachmann1, Sebastian Muschinsky, Michael A Nitsche
1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg August-University, Goettingen, Germany. cbachma@gwdg.de
Objective:
The aim of this single-blinded, complete crossover study was to evaluate the effects of tDCS on thermal and mechanical perception, as assessed by quantitative sensory testing (QST).
Methods:
QST was performed upon the radial part of both hands of eight healthy subjects (3 female, 5 male, 25-41years of age). These subjects were examined before and after cathodal, anodal or sham tDCS, applied in a random order. TDCS was administered for 15min at a 1mA current intensity, with the active electrode placed over the left primary motor cortex and the reference electrode above the right orbit.
Results:
After cathodal tDCS, cold detection thresholds (CDT), mechanical detection thresholds (MDT), and mechanical pain thresholds (MPT) significantly increased in the contralateral hand, when compared to the baseline condition.
Conclusions:
Cathodal tDCS temporarily reduced the sensitivity to A-fiber mediated somatosensory inputs.
Significance:
Impairment of these somatosensory percepts suggests a short-term suppression of lemniscal or suprathalamic sensory pathways following motor cortex stimulation by cathodal tDCS.
More Related Videos
13:56The Use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Measurement of Bi-hemispheric Transcranial Electric Stimulation Effects on Primary Motor Cortex Metabolism
Published on: November 19, 2014
08:26Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain
Published on: July 1, 2019