Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over the Primary Motor Cortex in Improving Postural Stability in
Jinqian Hou1,2, Michael A Nitsche3, Longyan Yi4
1Key Laboratory of Sport Training of General Administration of Sport of China, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China.
Abstract:
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) is of increasing interest to improve motor performance in healthy adults and patients with respective deficits. This study aimed to examine whether tDCS over M1 can improve static and dynamic postural stability in young healthy adults. Seventeen healthy participants (mean age = 25.14 ± 2.50 (standard deviation, SD) years) received sham and anodal tDCS (2 mA) over the vertex at the Cz electrode position for 15 min. Static and dynamic postural stability were evaluated before and immediately after tDCS. The center of pressure (COP) sway area (COPSA) and COP maximum displacements to medio-lateral (COPML) and antero-posterior directions (COPAP) were used to evaluate static postural stability. The anterior−posterior stability index (APSI), medial−lateral stability index (MLSI), vertical stability index (VSI), dynamic postural stability index (DPSI), and time to stabilization (TTS) in forward (FL), 45° anterior lateral (LL), and 45° anterior medial (ML) direction landing, as well as the Y-balance composite score (YBTCS) were used to assess dynamic postural stability. The results showed that the LL-TTS (p = 0.044), non-dominant leg COPSA (p = 0.015), and YBTCS (p < 0.0001) were significantly improved in the real stimulation as compared with the sham stimulation session, and anodal tDCS significantly changed dominant leg COPAP (p = 0.021), FL-APSI (p < 0.0001), FL-TTS (p = 0.008), ML-TTS (p = 0.002), non-dominant leg YBTCS (p < 0.0001), and dominant leg YBTCS (p = 0.014). There were no significant differences in all obtained balance values in the sham stimulation session, except for non-dominant leg YBTCS (p = 0.049). We conclude that anodal tDCS over M1 has an immediate improving effect on static postural stability and dynamic performance in young healthy adults. This makes tDCS a promising adjuvant rehabilitation treatment to enhance postural stability deficits in the future.
More Related Videos
11:11Effects of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation on the Primary Motor Cortex by Online Combined Approach with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: September 23, 2017
13:35Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Simultaneous Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 27, 2014