Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cognitive impairment affects 40%-70% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, impacting daily life.
• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown potential for MS-related symptoms, but its cognitive effects require further study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a multi-session tDCS protocol on cognitive performance in MS patients.
• To assess changes in resting-state brain electrical activity following tDCS in MS.

Main Methods:

• 24 MS patients received daily anodal or sham tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 8 consecutive days.
• Cognitive performance was measured using the Cambridge Brain Sciences-Cognitive Platform (CBS-CP).
• Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) analyzed cortical electrical activity before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Real tDCS significantly improved reasoning and executive functions compared to sham tDCS.
• Attention showed considerable improvement with real tDCS, though not statistically significant.
• No significant changes in resting-state brain electrical activity were observed in either group post-stimulation.

Conclusions:

• Anodal tDCS targeting the left DLPFC is a potential therapeutic strategy for cognitive deficits in MS.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these findings and explore neurobiological mechanisms.