Neuromodulation Techniques, Mechanisms, and Potential Benefits for Physical Activity Participation and Human Performance

Non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, including Transcranial and Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (tES) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), have been used to improve or alter neurological and psychiatric disorders, cognitive function, perceptions of pain, movement disorders, athletic performance, and physical activity participation. On the whole, studies have demonstrated promising effects, however, there is limited understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for the benefits often demonstrated in the literature. In addition, there is large inter- and intra-individual variability, which calls for the understanding of effect predictors. Studying the neural mechanisms that could potentially explain these effects and identifying neural biomarkers that could predict the response to non-invasive neuromodulation may help to elucidate for whom, how, and under what circumstances these approaches may be effective. In addition, this information can be utilized to better design non-invasive neuromodulation interventions (e.g., neuromodulation individualization). Therefore, the focus for this Research Topic is on studies that provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms and predictors that explain the effects of neuromodulation on physical activity participation and human performance.

The scope of this Research Topic includes Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and any form of tES (i.e., Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation [tDCS], Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation [tACS], Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation [tRNS], Transcranial Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation [taVNS], Transcutaneous Spinal Direct Current Stimulation [tsDCS]). Suggested topics include but is not limited to papers focusing on:

• Neuromodulation interventions for enhancing human performance
• Neuromodulation interventions for altering psychosocial, emotional, cognitive, and motivational constructs related to exercise adherence and prescription
• Neuromodulation for improving adherence to exercise interventions in healthy volunteers, neurologic, neuropsychological, and neuropsychiatric populations
• Predictive factors for the effects of neuromodulation
• Neuromodulation mechanisms related to different brain targets
• Neuromodulation interventions for changing physiological and psychophysiological variables related to human performance
• Neurophysiological mechanisms of neuromodulation
• Expectations: Placebo and/or nocebo effects of neuromodulation
• Brain state and trait factors that can predict the response to non-invasive neuromodulation

Keywords: Non-invasive neuromodulation, transcranial and transcutaneous electrical stimulation (tES), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), neural mechanisms, mental health, exercise participation, athletic performance

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.