TDCS modulates effective connectivity during motor command following; a potential therapeutic target for disorders of consciousness.

ABSTRACT: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is attracting increasing interest as a potential therapeutic route for unresponsive patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC). However, research to date has had mixed results. Here, we propose a new direction by directly addressing the mechanisms underlying lack of responsiveness in PDOC, and using these to define our targets and the success of our intervention in the healthy brain first. We report 2 experiments that assess whether tDCS to the primary motor cortex (M1-tDCS; Experiment 1) and the cerebellum (cb-tDCS; Experiment 2) administered at rest modulate thalamo-cortical coupling in a subsequent command following task typically used to clinically assess awareness. Both experiments use sham- and polarity-controlled, randomi

SUBMITTER: Aloi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8803542 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature