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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Cognitive Neuroscience
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1421230
This article is part of the Research Topic Women in Brain Imaging and Stimulation Volume II: 2024 View all 4 articles

Network-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Network-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Attention Function in Healthy Young Adults: A Preliminary Study

Provisionally accepted
Xiaoyu Wei Xiaoyu Wei Rong Zhou Rong Zhou Suwang Zheng Suwang Zheng Yufeng Zhang Yufeng Zhang Xiaofan Feng Xiaofan Feng JIAOJIAO LÜ JIAOJIAO LÜ *
  • Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Purpose: Attention, a complex cognitive process, is linked to the functional activities of the brain's dorsal attention network (DAN) and default network (DN). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and blinding efficacy of a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paradigm designed to increase the excitability of the DAN while inhibiting the DN (DAN+/DN-tDCS) on attention function in healthy young adults.In this randomized controlled experiment, participants were assigned to either the DAN+/DN-tDCS group or a sham group. A single intervention session was conducted at a total intensity of 4 mA for 20 min. Participants completed the Attention Network Test (ANT) immediately before and after stimulation. Blinding efficacy and adverse effects were assessed post-stimulation.Results: Forty participants completed the study, with 20 in each group. Paired-sample t-test showed a significant post-stimulation improvement in executive effect performance (t=2.245; p=0.037) in the DAN+/DN-tDCS group. The sham group did not exhibit any significant differences in ANT performance. Participants identified the stimulation type with 52.50% accuracy, indicating no difference in blinding efficacy between groups (p=0.241). Mild-to-moderate adverse effects, such as stinging, itching, and skin reddening, were reported in the DAN+/DN-tDCS group (p<0.05).: DAN+/DN-tDCS enhanced attention function in healthy young individuals, particularly in improving executive effect performance. This study presents novel strategies for enhancing attentional performance and encourages further investigation into the mechanisms and outcomes of these interventions across diverse populations.

    Keywords: transcranial direct current stimulation, brain network modulation, Attention, dorsal attention network, default network

    Received: 22 Apr 2024; Accepted: 30 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wei, Zhou, Zheng, Zhang, Feng and LÜ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: JIAOJIAO LÜ, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.