TY - JOUR
T1 - An unexpected target of spinal direct current stimulation
T2 - Interhemispheric connectivity in humans
AU - Bocci, Tommaso
AU - Caleo, Matteo
AU - Vannini, Beatrice
AU - Vergari, Maurizio
AU - Cogiamanian, Filippo
AU - Rossi, Simone
AU - Priori, Alberto
AU - Sartucci, Ferdinando
PY - 2015/10/1
Y1 - 2015/10/1
N2 - Background: Transcutaneous spinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) is a noninvasive technique based on the application of weak electrical currents over spinal cord. New method: We studied the effects of tsDCS on interhemispheric motor connectivity and visual processing by evaluating changes in ipsilateral Silent Period (iSP), Transcallosal Conduction Time (TCT) and hemifield Visual Evoked Potentials (hVEPs), before (T0) and at a different intervals following sham, anodal and cathodal tsDCS (T9-T11 level, 2.0mA, 20'). Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) were recorded from abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor hallucis (AH) and deltoid muscles. hVEPs were recorded bilaterally by reversal of a horizontal square wave grating with the display positioned in the right hemifield. Results: Anodal tsDCS increased TCT (p<0.001) and the interhemispheric delay for both the main VEP components (N1: p= 0.0003; P1: p<0.0001), dampening at the same time iSP duration (APB: p<0.0001; AH: p= 0.0005; deltoid: p<0.0001), while cathodal stimulation elicited opposite effects (p<0.0001). Discussion: tsDCS modulates interhemispheric processing in a polarity-specific manner, with anodal stimulation leading to a functional disconnection between hemispheres. tsDCS would be a new promising therapeutic tool in managing a number of human diseases characterized by an impaired interhemispheric balance, or an early rehabilitation strategy in patients with acute brain lesions, when other non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (NIBS) are not indicated due to safety concerns.
AB - Background: Transcutaneous spinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) is a noninvasive technique based on the application of weak electrical currents over spinal cord. New method: We studied the effects of tsDCS on interhemispheric motor connectivity and visual processing by evaluating changes in ipsilateral Silent Period (iSP), Transcallosal Conduction Time (TCT) and hemifield Visual Evoked Potentials (hVEPs), before (T0) and at a different intervals following sham, anodal and cathodal tsDCS (T9-T11 level, 2.0mA, 20'). Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) were recorded from abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor hallucis (AH) and deltoid muscles. hVEPs were recorded bilaterally by reversal of a horizontal square wave grating with the display positioned in the right hemifield. Results: Anodal tsDCS increased TCT (p<0.001) and the interhemispheric delay for both the main VEP components (N1: p= 0.0003; P1: p<0.0001), dampening at the same time iSP duration (APB: p<0.0001; AH: p= 0.0005; deltoid: p<0.0001), while cathodal stimulation elicited opposite effects (p<0.0001). Discussion: tsDCS modulates interhemispheric processing in a polarity-specific manner, with anodal stimulation leading to a functional disconnection between hemispheres. tsDCS would be a new promising therapeutic tool in managing a number of human diseases characterized by an impaired interhemispheric balance, or an early rehabilitation strategy in patients with acute brain lesions, when other non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (NIBS) are not indicated due to safety concerns.
KW - Corpus callosum
KW - Hemifield visual evoked potentials
KW - Interhemispheric processing
KW - Ipsilateral silent period
KW - Supraspinal effects
KW - Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation
KW - TsDCS
KW - Visual system
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.07.012
DO - 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.07.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 26213216
AN - SCOPUS:84938919843
VL - 254
SP - 18
EP - 26
JO - Journal of Neuroscience Methods
JF - Journal of Neuroscience Methods
SN - 0165-0270
ER -