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. 2023 Aug 10:17:1162854.
doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1162854. eCollection 2023.

Is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effective to improve cognition and functionality after severe traumatic brain injury? A perspective article and hypothesis

Bárbara Naeme de Lima Cordeiro  1 , Elizângela Kuster  2 , Aurore Thibaut  3 , Lucas Rodrigues Nascimento  2   4 , Jessica Vaz Gonçalves  1 , Guilherme Peixoto Tinoco Arêas  5 , Wellingson Silva Paiva  6 , Fernando Zanela da Silva Arêas  2   4
Affiliations

Is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effective to improve cognition and functionality after severe traumatic brain injury? A perspective article and hypothesis

Bárbara Naeme de Lima Cordeiro et al. Front Hum Neurosci. .

Abstract

Severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is an important cause of disability and mortality and affects people of all ages. Current scientific evidence indicates that motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment are the main limiting factors in patients with sTBI. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) seems to be a good therapeutic option, but when it comes to patients with sTBI, the results are inconclusive, and some protocols have not yet been tested. In addition, there is still a lack of information on tDCS-related physiological mechanisms, especially during the acute phase. In the present study, based on current evidence on tDCS mechanisms of action, we hypothesized that performing tDCS sessions in individuals with sTBI, especially in the acute and subacute phases, together with conventional therapy sessions, could improve cognition and motor function in this population. This hypothesis presents a new possibility for treating sTBI, seeking to elucidate the extent to which early tDCS may affect long-term clinical outcomes.

Keywords: cognition; functionality; neuromodulation; rehabilitation; transcranial direct current stimulation; traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling editor SC declared a past co-authorship with the author AT.

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