scholarly journals Improving online and offline gain from repetitive practice using anodal tDCS at dorsal premotor cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taewon Kim ◽  
John J. Buchanan ◽  
Jessica A. Bernard ◽  
David L. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Sequence Learning ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Motor Sequence Learning ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Dorsal Premotor Cortex ◽  
Recent Claim

AbstractAdministering anodal transcranial direct current stimulation at the left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) but not right PMd throughout the repetitive practice of three novel motor sequences resulted in improved offline performance usually only observed after interleaved practice. This gain only emerged following overnight sleep. These data are consistent with the proposed proprietary role of left PMd for motor sequence learning and the more recent claim that PMd is central to sleep-related consolidation of novel skill memory.

scholarly journals Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Applied to the Left Premotor Cortex Interferes with Explicit Reproduction of a Motor Sequence

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 207
Author(s):  
Bettina Pollok ◽  
Claire Schmitz-Justen ◽  
Vanessa Krause
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Sequence Learning ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Motor Sequence Learning ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that allows the modulation of cortical excitability. TDCS effects can outlast the stimulation period presumably due to changes of GABA concentration which play a critical role in use-dependent plasticity. Consequently, tDCS and learning-related synaptic plasticity are assumed to share common mechanisms. Motor sequence learning has been related to activation changes within a cortico-subcortical network and findings from a meta-analysis point towards a core network comprising the cerebellum as well as the primary motor (M1) and the dorsolateral premotor cortex (dPMC). The latter has been particularly related to explicit motor learning by means of brain imaging techniques. We here test whether tDCS applied to the left dPMC affects the acquisition and reproduction of an explicitly learned motor sequence. To this end, 18 healthy volunteers received anodal, cathodal and sham tDCS to the left dPMC and were then trained on a serial reaction time task (SRTT) with their right hand. Immediately after the training and after overnight sleep, reproduction of the learned sequence was tested by means of reaction times as well as explicit recall. Regression analyses suggest that following cathodal tDCS reaction times at the end of the SRTT training-block explained a significant proportion of the number of correctly reported sequence items after overnight sleep. The present data suggest the left premotor cortex as one possible target for the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques in explicit motor sequence learning with the right hand.

scholarly journals The effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on the cognitive stage of sequence learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah K. Ballard ◽  
James R. M. Goen ◽  
Ted Maldonado ◽  
Jessica A. Bernard
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Sequence Learning ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Cerebellar Function ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Anodal Stimulation

AbstractThough the cerebellum has been previously implicated in explicit sequence learning, the exact role of this structure in the acquisition of motor skills is not completely clear. The cerebellum contributes to both motor and non-motor behavior. Thus, this structure may contribute not only to the motoric aspects of sequence learning, but may also play a role in the cognitive components of these learning paradigms. Therefore, we investigated the consequence of both disrupting and facilitating cerebellar function using high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) prior to the completion of an explicit motor sequence learning paradigm. Using a mixed within- and between-subjects design, we employed cathodal (n=21) and anodal (n=23) tDCS (relative to sham), targeting the lateral posterior cerebellum, to temporarily modulate function and investigate the resulting effects on the acquisition of a sequential pattern of finger movements. Results indicate that cathodal stimulation has a positive influence on learning while anodal stimulation has the opposite effect, relative to sham. Though the cerebellum is presumed to be primarily involved in motor function and movement coordination, our results support a cognitive contribution that may come into play during the initial stages of learning. Using tDCS targeting the right posterior cerebellum, which communicates with the prefrontal cortex via closed-loop circuits, we found polarity-specific effects of cathodal and anodal stimulation on sequence learning. Thus, our results substantiate the role of the cerebellum in the cognitive aspect of motor learning and provide important new insights into the polarity-specific effects of tDCS in this area.New & NoteworthyThe cerebellum contributes to motor and cognitive processes. Investigating the cognitive contributions of the cerebellum in explicit sequence learning stands to provide new insights into this learning domain, and cerebellar function more generally. Using HD-tDCS, we demonstrated polarity-specific effects of stimulation on explicit sequence learning. We speculate that this is due to facilitation of working memory processes. This provides new evidence supporting a role for the cerebellum in the cognitive aspects of sequence learning.

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