Neural Noise

HD-tDCS targeting prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and motor cortex on dual-task gait in older adults

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  • Effects of HD-tDCS targeting prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and motor cortex on dual-task gait have been studied in older adults (Nature).1
  • Results inform tDCS protocol design and motor/balance applications.1 1

Gardner updates

  • HD-tDCS targeting prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and motor cortex was studied for effects on dual-task gait in older adults (Nature), informing tDCS protocol design and motor/balance applications. 1

Weekly enrichment (2026-07-20)

  • The primary study (Scientific Reports, 2025) used a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, counterbalanced crossover design in 19 older adults, each completing four sessions (cerebellum, M1, left DLPFC, or sham) with at least a one-week washout between visits.2
  • HD-tDCS was applied for 20 minutes through a 4×1 Ag/AgCl ring montage (Starstim, Neuroelectrics) with the anode at 2 mA (0.637 mA/cm²) and each of four surrounding cathodes at −0.5 mA, ramped over 30 s.2
  • Gait was captured with a seven-sensor IMU motion-capture system sampling at 500 Hz over a 20-meter walkway; the dual task was serial subtraction of 7 from a random three-digit number.2
  • The main effect of stimulation site was not statistically significant (P ≥ 0.204), so no single cortical target proved clearly superior for reducing dual-task cost.2
  • Significant time-by-site interactions emerged for stride-time variability under both single-task (P = 0.023) and dual-task (P < 0.001) walking; post hoc reductions followed left DLPFC, M1, and cerebellar stimulation (P ≤ 0.001) but not sham (P ≥ 0.646).2
  • The dual-task cost of stride-length variability showed a significant interaction (P = 0.038), with reductions after M1 (P = 0.007) and cerebellar (P = 0.011) stimulation.2
  • Dual-task gait speed improved significantly after left DLPFC (P = 0.039) and M1 (P = 0.028) stimulation, while stride length and the dual-task cost of gait speed were unaffected.2
  • Montage placement followed the 10/20 system (DLPFC anode at F3; M1 anode at Cz; cerebellar anode at Iz with returns at Oz/O2/P8/PO8), and finite-element modeling confirmed peak fields in right posterolateral cerebellar lobules VI and VIII.2
  • The trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20220718055490N1); the authors caution that site-specific advantages need confirmation in larger samples.2
  • Context: an earlier multicenter RCT in 57 older adults found that stimulating the left DLPFC—alone or with sensorimotor cortex—mitigated dual-task costs to standing and walking more than sensorimotor cortex alone or sham, reinforcing the DLPFC’s role in cognitive-motor integration.3

Footnotes

  1. https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX0FVX3lxTE1IZVEwY091dktoNXpOMS1MeDZOdjFUVjcwVW9mMnRuQzhYOTRpeU1oOC1sUVRvTUNzWVA0S1BfZm8tM3BSYnc3aGEzUWFMU2s0RGc0S3dMWllhOTE1V1Fn?oc=5 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-17655-1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8434977/ ↩

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