T018 Stimulation outside of motor cortex

Publication date: March 2017
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology, Volume 128, Issue 3
Author(s): C. Miniussi
In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the understanding and practical use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) techniques. The main idea that has been driving the use of tDCS is that whereas anodal tDCS increase neuronal excitability and may consequently enhance behavioural performance, cathodal tDCS decreases neuronal excitability and subsequently worsens behavioural performance. Although these effects of tDCS are well documented for the motor cortex, there is evidence that such facilitationinhibition is not always present at behaviour level and may even be reversed depending on when and how stimulation is applied in respect to task execution, and on the type of task. I will underline that applying this simplistic, sliding-scale reasoning (from excitation to inhibition or vice versa) does not always lead to the desired results at behavioural level. I will provide a picture of what we know about the theoretical models of tES that have been proposed in this field to date.



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