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Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and fMRI to Examine the Default Mode Network
Published on: December 28, 2010
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Age-dependent effects of brain stimulation on network centrality
Daria Antonenko1, Till Nierhaus2, Marcus Meinzer3
1Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Neurology, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany.
Neuroimage
|April 22, 2018
Summary
This study reveals that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) impacts brain network organization differently in young versus older adults. Anodal tDCS increased connectivity in young adults but decreased it in older adults, suggesting age-related differences in tDCS efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Gerontology
Background:
- Advanced age may influence how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects brain function.
- Few studies compare neural tDCS effects between young and older adults, and these are limited to task-based imaging.
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is suitable for studying age-associated differential neural tDCS effects due to its independence from performance variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-associated differential neural tDCS effects on brain network organization using resting-state fMRI.
- To compare the effects of anodal, cathodal, and sham tDCS on neural activity in young and older adults.
Main Methods:
- A cross-over, within-subject design comparing three online tDCS conditions (anodal, cathodal, sham) in 30 young and 30 older adults.
- rs-fMRI data analyzed using eigenvector centrality mapping and seed-based analyses.
- tDCS targeted the left sensorimotor network (active electrode over left sensorimotor cortex, reference over right supraorbital area).
Main Results:
- An interaction between anodal tDCS and age group was observed, indicating differential effects.
- Anodal tDCS increased centrality in young adults (bilateral paracentral and posterior regions) but decreased it in older adults.
- Differential effects on the functional coupling of the left paracentral lobule explained the opposing patterns of tDCS-induced centrality modulation; cathodal tDCS showed no significant effects.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence for differential tDCS effects on neural network organization between young and older adults.
- Anodal tDCS modulated sensorimotor network coupling differently based on age, affecting ventromedial prefrontal areas in young adults and posteromedial areas in older adults.
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