Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 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 (tDCS) - application in neuropsychology
Yong-Il Shin1, Águida Foerster2, Michael A Nitsche2
1University Medical Center, Department Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, South Korea.
Non-invasive brain stimulation, like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), modulates brain activity to explore cognition and treat diseases. This review covers tDCS mechanisms, applications in healthy and clinical populations, and future research directions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neurology
Background:
- Non-invasive brain stimulation offers a versatile method for modulating brain activity and excitability.
- It is used to investigate the physiological underpinnings of cognition and behavior.
- Applications extend to reducing clinical symptoms in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the physiological mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
- To summarize the applications of tDCS in modulating psychological processes in healthy individuals and patients with neuropsychiatric diseases.
- To outline the current state of the art, limitations, and future research directions in the field of tDCS.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
- Analysis of physiological mechanisms of action.
- Synthesis of findings from applications in healthy humans and neuropsychiatric diseases.
Main Results:
- tDCS modulates brain activity and excitability through specific physiological mechanisms.
- tDCS has demonstrated efficacy in modulating psychological processes in both healthy subjects and patients.
- The field of tDCS is rapidly advancing, with ongoing research addressing its limitations.
Conclusions:
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising neuromodulatory tool with broad applications.
- Further research is needed to fully understand tDCS mechanisms and optimize its therapeutic potential.
- Future directions include refining protocols and exploring novel applications in clinical settings.
