The Effects of a Cerebellar Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation-Based Preventive Exercise Program on Physical...

Background/Objectives: Falls are a major cause of injury in older adults, closely related to declines in muscle strength, balance control, and sensory integration. Although exercise-based fall prevention programs are well supported, evidence on combining such programs with cerebellar transcranial direct-current stimulation (c-tDCS) remains limited. This study investigated the effects of c-tDCS applied before a modified Otago Exercise Program (OEP) on lower-extremity strength, balance, and fall efficacy in older adults. Methods: In this randomized controlled study, twenty-six community-dwelling older adults (median age [IQR]: experimental, 74.00 [10] years; control, 71.00 [10] years) were randomly assigned to either a c-tDCS + exercise group (n = 13) or a sham + exercise group (n = 13). The intervention was administered twice weekly for four weeks. The experimental group received 15 min of c-tDCS followed by 30 min of OEP-based exercise; the control group received sham stimulation under identical conditions. The outcome measures included the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Balancia-based static balance (velocity average), and Falls Efficacy Scale-Korea (FES-K). Assessments were performed pre- and post-intervention. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group (p < 0.05) in the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (r = 0.44) and Timed Up and Go test (r = 0.56). No significant changes were observed in static balance or fall efficacy in either group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The combined use of c-tDCS and an OEP-based fall prevention exercise program effectively improved lower-extremity strength and dynamic balance in older adults. However, short-term intervention did not influence static balance or fall efficacy. Further studies using longer intervention periods and larger samples are warranted to verify these findings and clarify the mechanisms underlying c-tDCS-enhanced motor performance.