The effectiveness of tDCS on motor sequence learning in high and low-physical activity older adults

It appears that applying multi-session anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) during motor learning tasks would induce larger and longer-lasting motor behavioral effects compared to sham a-tDCS in high and low-physical activity older adults.

To examine the short-term and long-term outcomes of multiple sessions of M1 a-tDCS with the serial reaction time task (SRTT) on motor learning in both high and low-physical activity older adults.

In this single-blind, randomized, parallel-arm, sham-controlled trial, 56 older adults-28 with high physical activity and 28 with low physical activity-were randomly assigned to either the sham or real a-tDCS group, with 14 participants in each group. The participants took part in eight blocks of SRTT for five consecutive days in combination with a-tDCS or sham tDCS. Response time and error rate were measured before the intervention, one day, and one week after the completion of the intervention.

According to the study results, there were significant differences in error rate and reaction time between older adults who underwent a-tDCS and those who underwent sham-tDCS in both physical activity levels (P < 0.05). Additionally, we observed a significant difference in motor learning improvements (reaction time and error rate) between older adults with high and low levels of physical activity following the a-tDCS intervention (P < 0.05).

The findings demonstrated that older adults who received a-tDCS, particularly those with higher physical activity, experienced greater improvements in both reaction time and error rate during SRTT sessions than those who received sham stimulation, both immediately after the intervention and one week later.