Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained popularity as a method of modulating cortical excitability in people with physical and mental disabilities. However, there is a lack of consensus on its effectiveness in older individuals. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 2-month...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/12/1614 |
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| author | Nathalia Oliveira Rodrigues Anna Alice Vidal Bravalhieri Tatiane Pereira de Moraes Jorge Aparecido Barros Juliana Hotta Ansai Gustavo Christofoletti |
| author_facet | Nathalia Oliveira Rodrigues Anna Alice Vidal Bravalhieri Tatiane Pereira de Moraes Jorge Aparecido Barros Juliana Hotta Ansai Gustavo Christofoletti |
| author_sort | Nathalia Oliveira Rodrigues |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained popularity as a method of modulating cortical excitability in people with physical and mental disabilities. However, there is a lack of consensus on its effectiveness in older individuals. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 2-month tDCS program for improving physical and mental performance in community-dwelling older individuals. In this single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, forty-two participants were allocated to one of three groups: (1) the tDCS group, which received, twice a week, 20 min sessions of 2 mA electric current through electrodes placed on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; (2) the tDCS-placebo group, which underwent the same electrode placement as the tDCS group but without actual electric stimulation; and (3) the cognitive-control group, which completed crossword puzzles. Main outcome measures were cognition, mobility, and anxiety. Multivariate analyses of variance were employed. Significance was set at 5% (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding the results, no significant benefits were observed in the tDCS group compared with the tDCS-placebo or cognitive-control groups for cognition (<i>p</i> = 0.557), mobility (<i>p</i> = 0.871), or anxiety (<i>p</i> = 0.356). Cognition exhibited positive oscillations during the assessments (main effect of time: <i>p</i> = 0.001). However, given that all groups showed similar variations in cognitive scores (main effect of group: <i>p</i> = 0.101; group × time effect: <i>p</i> = 0.557), it is more likely that the improvement reflects the learning response of the participants to the cognitive tests rather than the effect of tDCS. In conclusion, a 2-month tDCS program with two sessions per week appears to be ineffective in improving physical and mental performance in community-dwelling older individuals. Further studies are necessary to establish whether or not tDCS is effective in healthy older individuals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:56:35Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:56:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f755e055ca84538a566f60218cf7ec12023-12-22T13:56:47ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-11-011312161410.3390/brainsci13121614Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical TrialNathalia Oliveira Rodrigues0Anna Alice Vidal Bravalhieri1Tatiane Pereira de Moraes2Jorge Aparecido Barros3Juliana Hotta Ansai4Gustavo Christofoletti5Institute of Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79060-900, BrazilInstitute of Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79060-900, BrazilInstitute of Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79060-900, BrazilDepartment of Physical Therapy, Dom Bosco Catholic University (UCDB), Campo Grande 79117-900, BrazilDepartment of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR), São Carlos 13565-905, BrazilInstitute of Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79060-900, BrazilTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained popularity as a method of modulating cortical excitability in people with physical and mental disabilities. However, there is a lack of consensus on its effectiveness in older individuals. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 2-month tDCS program for improving physical and mental performance in community-dwelling older individuals. In this single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, forty-two participants were allocated to one of three groups: (1) the tDCS group, which received, twice a week, 20 min sessions of 2 mA electric current through electrodes placed on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; (2) the tDCS-placebo group, which underwent the same electrode placement as the tDCS group but without actual electric stimulation; and (3) the cognitive-control group, which completed crossword puzzles. Main outcome measures were cognition, mobility, and anxiety. Multivariate analyses of variance were employed. Significance was set at 5% (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding the results, no significant benefits were observed in the tDCS group compared with the tDCS-placebo or cognitive-control groups for cognition (<i>p</i> = 0.557), mobility (<i>p</i> = 0.871), or anxiety (<i>p</i> = 0.356). Cognition exhibited positive oscillations during the assessments (main effect of time: <i>p</i> = 0.001). However, given that all groups showed similar variations in cognitive scores (main effect of group: <i>p</i> = 0.101; group × time effect: <i>p</i> = 0.557), it is more likely that the improvement reflects the learning response of the participants to the cognitive tests rather than the effect of tDCS. In conclusion, a 2-month tDCS program with two sessions per week appears to be ineffective in improving physical and mental performance in community-dwelling older individuals. Further studies are necessary to establish whether or not tDCS is effective in healthy older individuals.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/12/1614transcranial direct current stimulationcontrolled clinical trialagingcognitionanxietygait |
| spellingShingle | Nathalia Oliveira Rodrigues Anna Alice Vidal Bravalhieri Tatiane Pereira de Moraes Jorge Aparecido Barros Juliana Hotta Ansai Gustavo Christofoletti Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial Brain Sciences transcranial direct current stimulation controlled clinical trial aging cognition anxiety gait |
| title | Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial |
| title_full | Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial |
| title_fullStr | Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial |
| title_short | Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition, Anxiety, and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Controlled Clinical Trial |
| title_sort | efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation tdcs on cognition anxiety and mobility in community dwelling older individuals a controlled clinical trial |
| topic | transcranial direct current stimulation controlled clinical trial aging cognition anxiety gait |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/12/1614 |
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