A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools

A J Woods¹, A Antal², M Bikson³, P S Boggio⁴, A R Brunoni⁵, P Celnik⁶, L G Cohen⁷, F Fregni⁸, C S Herrmann⁹, E S Kappenman¹⁰, H Knotkova¹¹, D Liebetanz², C Miniussi¹², P C Miranda¹³, W Paulus², A Priori¹⁴, D Reato³, C Stagg¹⁵, N Wenderoth¹⁶, M A Nitsche¹⁷

Affiliations

¹ Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Institute on Aging, McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: ajwoods@ufl.edu.
² University Medical Center, Dept. Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, USA.
⁴ Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Health and Biological Science, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
⁵ Service of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁷ Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁸ Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard University, USA.
⁹ Experimental Psychology Lab, Center of excellence Hearing4all, Department for Psychology, Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Ammerländer Heerstr, Oldenburg, Germany.
¹⁰ Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
¹¹ MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Neuroscience Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia & Cognitive Neuroscience Section, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
¹³ Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering (IBEB), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁴ Direttore Clinica Neurologica III, Università degli Studi di Milano, Ospedale San Paolo, Milan, Italy.
¹⁵ Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB) Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA), Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
¹⁶ Neural Control of Movement Lab, Dept. Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
¹⁷ University Medical Center, Dept. Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.

PMID: 26652115
PMCID: PMC4747791
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.012

Review

A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools

A J Woods et al. Clin Neurophysiol. 2016 Feb.

. 2016 Feb;127(2):1031-1048.

doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 22.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Institute on Aging, McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: ajwoods@ufl.edu.
² University Medical Center, Dept. Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, USA.
⁴ Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Health and Biological Science, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
⁵ Service of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁷ Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁸ Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard University, USA.
⁹ Experimental Psychology Lab, Center of excellence Hearing4all, Department for Psychology, Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Ammerländer Heerstr, Oldenburg, Germany.
¹⁰ Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
¹¹ MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Neuroscience Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia & Cognitive Neuroscience Section, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
¹³ Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering (IBEB), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁴ Direttore Clinica Neurologica III, Università degli Studi di Milano, Ospedale San Paolo, Milan, Italy.
¹⁵ Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB) Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA), Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
¹⁶ Neural Control of Movement Lab, Dept. Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
¹⁷ University Medical Center, Dept. Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.

PMID: 26652115
PMCID: PMC4747791
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.012

Abstract

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation (tDCS, tACS) are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques increasingly used for modulation of central nervous system excitability in humans. Here we address methodological issues required for tES application. This review covers technical aspects of tES, as well as applications like exploration of brain physiology, modelling approaches, tES in cognitive neurosciences, and interventional approaches. It aims to help the reader to appropriately design and conduct studies involving these brain stimulation techniques, understand limitations and avoid shortcomings, which might hamper the scientific rigor and potential applications in the clinical domain.

Keywords: Design; Methodology review; Safety; Technical guide; Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS); Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS); Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES); Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS).

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement

M. Nitsche and P. Miranda are members of the advisory board for Neuroelectrics. W. Paulus is on the advisory board of EBS technologies and received support in terms of new tES devices by Neuroconn and EBS technologies. CUNY has patents on brain stimulation with M. Bikson as inventor. M. Bikson has equity in Soterix Medical Inc. None of the remaining authors have potential conflicts of interest to be disclosed.

References

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1. Agnew WF, McCreery DB. Considerations for safety in the use of extracranial stimulation for motor evoked potentials. Neurosurgery. 1987;20:143–7. - PubMed
1. Ali MM, Sellers KK, Frohlich F. Transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates large-scale cortical network activity by network resonance. J Neurosci. 2013a;33:11262–75. - PMC - PubMed
1. Alonzo A, Brassil J, Taylor JL, Martin D, Loo CK. Daily transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) leads to greater increases in cortical excitability than second daily transcranial direct current stimulation. Brain Stimul. 2012;5:208–13. - PubMed
1. Ambrus GG, Al-Moyed H, Chaieb L, Sarp L, Antal A, Paulus W. The fade-in - Short stimulation - Fade out approach to sham tDCS - Reliable at 1 mA for naïve and experienced subjects, but not investigators. Brain Stimul. 2012;5:499–504. - PubMed

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A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools

Affiliations

A technical guide to tDCS, and related non-invasive brain stimulation tools

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical