Cerebellar tDCS reduces time to task failure in healthy young adults

Chielota Uma

Mentor: Dr. Agostina Casamento-Moran

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University

Fatigue reduces the force that an individual can exert. Fatigability limits motor control, impairs learning, and reduces cerebellar excitability. The goals of this study were (1) to determine if the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the cerebellum would improve motor learning under fatiguing conditions and (2) understand the effect(s) of cTDCS on fatigability. Twenty-seven healthy young adults randomly received five blocks of anodal tDCS (active and sham tDCS) over three consecutive daily sessions while completing a sequential visual isometric pinch task (SVIPT). Participants completed a fatiguing task before and after stimulation for each session. Motor skill acquisition, retention and transfer resulted in similar levels for both groups. There was a significant decrease in maximal force for both groups after the fatiguing task. Participants that received active tDCS exhibited a shorter time to task failure than the other group, indicating that cTDCS reduces time to task failure in fatigued individuals.