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Updated: May 10, 2026
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Simultaneous Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 27, 2014
Can transcranial electrical stimulation improve learning difficulties in atypical brain development? A future
Beatrix Krause1, Roi Cohen Kadosh
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) may enhance cognitive training for learning difficulties. More research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness in children with atypical brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Rehabilitation
Background:
- Learning difficulties in atypical brain development pose significant challenges to individual achievement and societal well-being.
- Current cognitive training interventions offer limited improvement for learning impairments.
- Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) shows promise in adults as an adjunct to cognitive training for enhancing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the functional principles, applications, and results of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES).
- To explore the potential of TES as a tool to enhance neuroplasticity and cognitive intervention outcomes in atypically developing children.
- To identify potential pitfalls and areas for future research regarding TES in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) in both typical and clinical adult populations.
- Analysis of current applications and reported outcomes of TES combined with cognitive training.
- Discussion of the functional principles and safety considerations of TES.
Main Results:
- TES, when combined with cognitive training, has demonstrated enhanced cognitive intervention outcomes in adults for various deficits, including numerical processing, language skills, and response inhibition.
- These deficits are commonly associated with profound learning difficulties and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Research specifically on child populations is currently limited.
Conclusions:
- Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) shows considerable promise for increasing neuroplasticity in atypically developing children.
- TES may serve as an effective adjunct to cognitive training in clinical settings for pediatric learning difficulties, provided its safety is established.
- Critical assessment of the efficacy and short- and long-term effects of TES on the developing brain is essential before clinical recommendation.
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