Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on foot sensorimotor function and postural control in healthy...

To evaluate systematically the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation （tDCS）on foot sensorimotor function and postural control in healthy young adults using meta-analysis and thus provide evidence-based medical data for its clinical application.

A systematic search was conducted across six databases-PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure-to identify eligible studies examining the effects of tDCS on foot sensorimotor function and postural control in healthy young adults, up to July 27, 2025. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3, and meta-regression was performed in Stata 14.0 under a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were used to explore potential moderating factors.

A total of 22 RCTs involving 813 healthy young adults were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that tDCS significantly reduced the passive kinesthesia threshold of ankle joint in healthy young adults compared with the control (SMD = -0.83, 95 % CI: -1.07--0.60, P < 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in foot muscle strength, static balance and dynamic balance (all p > 0.05). In addition, meta-regression did not identify any significant moderators affecting the impact of tDCS on COP area and COP displacement velocity, including stimulation parameters, task type, and sample characteristics (all p > 0.05).

In conclusion, the current evidence suggested that tDCS may enhance ankle joint proprioception in healthy young adults, while no significant improvements were observed in foot muscle strength or static and dynamic postural control. Further research is warranted to determine the optimal stimulation parameters and to evaluate the efficacy of tDCS in clinical populations.