The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on inter-limb coordination and cortical excitation/inhibitionu in older adults

Key Points

• The study aims to determine the effects of tDCS on inter-limb coordination and cortical excitation/inhibition in older adults.
• 15 healthy older males aged 65+ were randomly assigned to tDCS, sham, or control groups, with 5 per group.
• Neurophysiological measures included motor evoked potential (rMEP) amplitudes and silent period (SP) duration.
• Pre-and post-tests were conducted to analyze changes within and between groups.
• The tDCS group showed a tendency for increased rMEP amplitudes post-intervention, particularly in ipsilateral and contralateral conditions.
• In contrast, both sham and control groups tended to exhibit decreased rMEP amplitude changes.
• The tDCS group demonstrated the highest increase in SP duration during challenging movement conditions compared to sham and control groups.