The impact of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with virtual reality-based mindfulness on attention and inhibitory control in healthy individuals

Combining virtual reality-focused mindfulness (VR-FM) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance cognitive performance, offering new insights for scientific research and clinical applications. We aimed to examine the effects of a single session of VR-FM, a single session of tDCS, and their combination on sustained attention, attention control, and inhibitory control. We conducted a double-blind, controlled, randomized study ( N = 107) with five groups: VR-FM or VR-mind wandering, paired with active (2 mA for 20 min) or sham tDCS with the anode over F3 and cathode over F4, and a no-intervention control group. Non-specific skin conductance response (nsSCR) was collected during virtual reality, and cognitive performance was measured with Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and the Emotional Stroop (EST) after intervention. Differences between groups were not statistically significant in cognitive tasks (all p >.05) but we found a main effect of group in nsSCR ( F (3, 66) = 4.07, p = .010, η² = 0.156), with significant differences between VR-FM + tDCS active and VR-MW + tDCS sham ( p = .014). Single sessions of VR-FM and tDCS did not significantly impact cognitive performance. However, reduced autonomic activation might be associated with mindfulness. Future studies should include several sessions and consider other individual conditions to understand the factors involved.