Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can induce long-term potentiation-like facilitation, but whether the combination of TMS and tDCS has additive effects is unclear. To address this issue, in this...

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Main Authors: Wenjun Dai, Yao Geng, Hao Liu, Chuan Guo, Wenxiang Chen, Jinhui Ma, Jinjin Chen, Yanbing Jia, Ying Shen, Tong Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8966584
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author Wenjun Dai
Yao Geng
Hao Liu
Chuan Guo
Wenxiang Chen
Jinhui Ma
Jinjin Chen
Yanbing Jia
Ying Shen
Tong Wang
author_facet Wenjun Dai
Yao Geng
Hao Liu
Chuan Guo
Wenxiang Chen
Jinhui Ma
Jinjin Chen
Yanbing Jia
Ying Shen
Tong Wang
author_sort Wenjun Dai
collection DOAJ
description Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can induce long-term potentiation-like facilitation, but whether the combination of TMS and tDCS has additive effects is unclear. To address this issue, in this randomized crossover study, we investigated the effect of preconditioning with cathodal high-definition (HD) tDCS on intermittent theta burst stimulation- (iTBS-) induced plasticity in the left motor cortex. A total of 24 healthy volunteers received preconditioning with cathodal HD-tDCS or sham intervention prior to iTBS in a random order with a washout period of 1 week. The amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) was measured at baseline and at several time points (5, 10, 15, and 30 min) after iTBS to determine the effects of the intervention on cortical plasticity. Preconditioning with cathodal HD-tDCS followed by iTBS showed a greater increase in MEP amplitude than sham cathodal HD-tDCS preconditioning and iTBS at each time postintervention point, with longer-lasting after-effects on cortical excitability. These results demonstrate that preintervention with cathodal HD-tDCS primes the motor cortex for long-term potentiation induced by iTBS and is a potential strategy for improving the clinical outcome to guide therapeutic decisions.
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spelling doaj-art-bcd09d668ff742fdb4c75793f8b4528a2025-08-20T03:23:18ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432021-01-01202110.1155/2021/89665848966584Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst StimulationWenjun Dai0Yao Geng1Hao Liu2Chuan Guo3Wenxiang Chen4Jinhui Ma5Jinjin Chen6Yanbing Jia7Ying Shen8Tong Wang9Rehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaRehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaNeuro-Rehabilitation Center, JORU Rehabilitation Hospital, Yixing, ChinaRehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaRehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaNeuro-Rehabilitation Center, JORU Rehabilitation Hospital, Yixing, ChinaRehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaRehabilitation Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaNoninvasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can induce long-term potentiation-like facilitation, but whether the combination of TMS and tDCS has additive effects is unclear. To address this issue, in this randomized crossover study, we investigated the effect of preconditioning with cathodal high-definition (HD) tDCS on intermittent theta burst stimulation- (iTBS-) induced plasticity in the left motor cortex. A total of 24 healthy volunteers received preconditioning with cathodal HD-tDCS or sham intervention prior to iTBS in a random order with a washout period of 1 week. The amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) was measured at baseline and at several time points (5, 10, 15, and 30 min) after iTBS to determine the effects of the intervention on cortical plasticity. Preconditioning with cathodal HD-tDCS followed by iTBS showed a greater increase in MEP amplitude than sham cathodal HD-tDCS preconditioning and iTBS at each time postintervention point, with longer-lasting after-effects on cortical excitability. These results demonstrate that preintervention with cathodal HD-tDCS primes the motor cortex for long-term potentiation induced by iTBS and is a potential strategy for improving the clinical outcome to guide therapeutic decisions.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8966584
spellingShingle Wenjun Dai
Yao Geng
Hao Liu
Chuan Guo
Wenxiang Chen
Jinhui Ma
Jinjin Chen
Yanbing Jia
Ying Shen
Tong Wang
Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
Neural Plasticity
title Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
title_full Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
title_fullStr Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
title_full_unstemmed Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
title_short Preconditioning with Cathodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Sensitizes the Primary Motor Cortex to Subsequent Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
title_sort preconditioning with cathodal high definition transcranial direct current stimulation sensitizes the primary motor cortex to subsequent intermittent theta burst stimulation
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8966584
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