Journal article
Effects of Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Retention of Performance Gains on an Obstacle Negotiation Task in Older Adults
Neuromodulation (Malden, Mass.), v 26(4), pp 829-839
01 Jun 2023
PMCID: PMC9547038
PMID: 35410769
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Complex walking in older adults can be improved with task practice and might be further enhanced by pairing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We tested the hypothesis that a single session of practice of a complex obstacle negotiation task paired with active tDCS in older adults would produce greater within-session improvements in walking performance and retention of gains, compared to sham tDCS and no tDCS conditions.
A total of 50 older adults (mean age = 74.46 years ± 6.49) with self-reported walking difficulty were randomized to receive either active tDCS (active-tDCS group) or sham tDCS (sham-tDCS group) bilaterally to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or no tDCS (no-tDCS group). Each group performed ten practice trials of an obstacle negotiation task at their fastest safe speed. Retention of gains in walking performance was assessed with three trials conducted one week later. Within-session effects of practice and between-session retention effects on obstacle negotiation speed were examined.
At the practice session, all three groups exhibited significant within-session gains in walking speed (p ≤ 0.005). However, the gains were significantly greater in the sham-tDCS group than in the active-tDCS and no-tDCS groups (p ≤ 0.03) and were comparable between the active-tDCS and no-tDCS groups (p = 0.89). At one-week follow-up, the active-tDCS group exhibited significant between-session retention of gains and continued “offline” improvement in walking speed (p = 0.005). The active-tDCS group showed significantly greater retention of gains than the no-tDCS (p = 0.02) but not the sham-tDCS group (p = 0.24).
Pairing prefrontal active tDCS with a single session of obstacle negotiation practice may enhance one-week retention of gains in walking performance compared to no tDCS. However, the evidence is insufficient to suggest a benefit of active tDCS over sham tDCS for enhancing the gains in walking performance. Additional studies with a multisession intervention design and larger sample size are needed to further investigate these findings.
The Clinicaltrials.gov registration number for the study is NCT03122236.
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Details
- Title
- Effects of Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Retention of Performance Gains on an Obstacle Negotiation Task in Older Adults
- Creators
- Sudeshna A. Chatterjee - Malcom Randall VA Medical CenterRachael D. Seidler - University of FloridaJared W. Skinner - Malcom Randall VA Medical CenterPaige E. Lysne - University of FloridaChanoan Sumonthee - University of FloridaSamuel S. Wu - University of FloridaRonald A. Cohen - University of FloridaDorian K. Rose - Malcom Randall VA Medical CenterAdam J. Woods - University of FloridaSudeshna Aloke Chatterjee - Drexel University, Physical Therapy (and Rehabilitation Sciences)David J. Clark - University of Florida
- Publication Details
- Neuromodulation (Malden, Mass.), v 26(4), pp 829-839
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Grant note
- National Institutes of Health (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000002)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physical Therapy (and Rehabilitation Sciences)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001017295400001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85127905462
- Other Identifier
- 991021858315104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Medicine, Research & Experimental
- Neurosciences