Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation

Saccade adaptation is a cerebellar-mediated type of motor learning in which the oculomotor system is exposed to repetitive errors. Different types of saccade adaptations are thought to involve distinct underlying cerebellar mechanisms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces changes i...

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Main Authors: Eric Avila, Jos N. van der Geest, Sandra Kengne Kamga, M. Claire Verhage, Opher Donchin, Maarten A. Frens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/968970
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author Eric Avila
Jos N. van der Geest
Sandra Kengne Kamga
M. Claire Verhage
Opher Donchin
Maarten A. Frens
author_facet Eric Avila
Jos N. van der Geest
Sandra Kengne Kamga
M. Claire Verhage
Opher Donchin
Maarten A. Frens
author_sort Eric Avila
collection DOAJ
description Saccade adaptation is a cerebellar-mediated type of motor learning in which the oculomotor system is exposed to repetitive errors. Different types of saccade adaptations are thought to involve distinct underlying cerebellar mechanisms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces changes in neuronal excitability in a polarity-specific manner and offers a modulatory, noninvasive, functional insight into the learning aspects of different brain regions. We aimed to modulate the cerebellar influence on saccade gains during adaptation using tDCS. Subjects performed an inward (n=10) or outward (n=10) saccade adaptation experiment (25% intrasaccadic target step) while receiving 1.5 mA of anodal cerebellar tDCS delivered by a small contact electrode. Compared to sham stimulation, tDCS increased learning of saccadic inward adaptation but did not affect learning of outward adaptation. This may imply that plasticity mechanisms in the cerebellum are different between inward and outward adaptation. TDCS could have influenced specific cerebellar areas that contribute to inward but not outward adaptation. We conclude that tDCS can be used as a neuromodulatory technique to alter cerebellar oculomotor output, arguably by engaging wider cerebellar areas and increasing the available resources for learning.
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spelling doaj-art-449ec83a078142d4a3036b7d2dd86cb72025-08-20T02:05:51ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432015-01-01201510.1155/2015/968970968970Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade AdaptationEric Avila0Jos N. van der Geest1Sandra Kengne Kamga2M. Claire Verhage3Opher Donchin4Maarten A. Frens5Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer-Sheva, IsraelDepartment of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, NetherlandsSaccade adaptation is a cerebellar-mediated type of motor learning in which the oculomotor system is exposed to repetitive errors. Different types of saccade adaptations are thought to involve distinct underlying cerebellar mechanisms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces changes in neuronal excitability in a polarity-specific manner and offers a modulatory, noninvasive, functional insight into the learning aspects of different brain regions. We aimed to modulate the cerebellar influence on saccade gains during adaptation using tDCS. Subjects performed an inward (n=10) or outward (n=10) saccade adaptation experiment (25% intrasaccadic target step) while receiving 1.5 mA of anodal cerebellar tDCS delivered by a small contact electrode. Compared to sham stimulation, tDCS increased learning of saccadic inward adaptation but did not affect learning of outward adaptation. This may imply that plasticity mechanisms in the cerebellum are different between inward and outward adaptation. TDCS could have influenced specific cerebellar areas that contribute to inward but not outward adaptation. We conclude that tDCS can be used as a neuromodulatory technique to alter cerebellar oculomotor output, arguably by engaging wider cerebellar areas and increasing the available resources for learning.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/968970
spellingShingle Eric Avila
Jos N. van der Geest
Sandra Kengne Kamga
M. Claire Verhage
Opher Donchin
Maarten A. Frens
Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
Neural Plasticity
title Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
title_full Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
title_fullStr Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
title_full_unstemmed Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
title_short Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Saccade Adaptation
title_sort cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation effects on saccade adaptation
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/968970
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AT mclaireverhage cerebellartranscranialdirectcurrentstimulationeffectsonsaccadeadaptation
AT opherdonchin cerebellartranscranialdirectcurrentstimulationeffectsonsaccadeadaptation
AT maartenafrens cerebellartranscranialdirectcurrentstimulationeffectsonsaccadeadaptation