» Articles » PMID: 19802336

Consensus: "Can TDCS and TMS Enhance Motor Learning and Memory Formation?"

Abstract

Noninvasive brain stimulation has developed as a promising tool for cognitive neuroscientists. Transcranial magnetic (TMS) and direct current (tDCS) stimulation allow researchers to purposefully enhance or decrease excitability in focal areas of the brain. The purpose of this paper is to review information on the use of TMS and tDCS as research tools to facilitate motor memory formation, motor performance and motor learning in healthy volunteers. Studies implemented so far have mostly focused on the ability of TMS and tDCS to elicit relatively short lasting motor improvements and the mechanisms underlying these changes have been only partially investigated. Despite limitations including the scarcity of data, work that has been already accomplished raises the exciting hypothesis that currently available noninvasive transcranial stimulation techniques could modulate motor learning and memory formation in healthy humans and potentially in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Citing Articles

Effects of bi-hemispheric anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on soccer player performance: a triple-blinded, controlled, and randomized study.

Rocha J, Almeida R, de Lima Cordeiro B, Cardoso Sarcinelli C, Zimerer C, Areas F Front Sports Act Living. 2024; 6:1350660.

PMID: 38584685 PMC: 10995377. DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1350660.


The effects of combined transcranial brain stimulation and a 4-week visuomotor stepping training on voluntary step initiation in persons with chronic stroke-a pilot study.

Tseng S, Cherry D, Ko M, Fisher S, Furtado M, Chang S Front Neurol. 2024; 15:1286856.

PMID: 38450075 PMC: 10915046. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1286856.


Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with training to improve social cognition impairment in schizophrenia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Vergallito A, Gramano B, La Monica K, Giuliani L, Palumbo D, Gesi C Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1308971.

PMID: 38445059 PMC: 10912559. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1308971.


The neural correlates of apathy in the context of aging and brain disorders: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies.

Yan H, Wu H, Cai Z, Du S, Li L, Xu B Front Aging Neurosci. 2023; 15:1181558.

PMID: 37396666 PMC: 10311641. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1181558.


tDCS over the primary motor cortex contralateral to the trained hand enhances cross-limb transfer in older adults.

Kaminski E, Maudrich T, Bassler P, Ordnung M, Villringer A, Ragert P Front Aging Neurosci. 2022; 14:935781.

PMID: 36204550 PMC: 9530461. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.935781.


References
1.
Walker M, Brakefield T, Morgan A, Hobson J, Stickgold R . Practice with sleep makes perfect: sleep-dependent motor skill learning. Neuron. 2002; 35(1):205-11. DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(02)00746-8. View

2.
Kim Y, Park J, Ko M, Jang S, Lee P . Facilitative effect of high frequency subthreshold repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on complex sequential motor learning in humans. Neurosci Lett. 2004; 367(2):181-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.05.113. View

3.
Tong C, Flanagan J . Task-specific internal models for kinematic transformations. J Neurophysiol. 2003; 90(2):578-85. DOI: 10.1152/jn.01087.2002. View

4.
Karni A, Sagi D . The time course of learning a visual skill. Nature. 1993; 365(6443):250-2. DOI: 10.1038/365250a0. View

5.
Izawa J, Rane T, Donchin O, Shadmehr R . Motor adaptation as a process of reoptimization. J Neurosci. 2008; 28(11):2883-91. PMC: 2752329. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5359-07.2008. View