Key result
Active prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation significantly increased high-frequency heart rate variability compared to sham stimulation (Cohen's d 1.04, p=0.030).
Why the study?
Does active prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with a working memory task alter heart rate variability in healthy participants compared to sham stimulation?
Population
20 healthy participants, mean age 22.8. Exclusions: significant psychological or neurological illness…
Comparison
Bifrontal active transcranial direct current… vs Sham tDCS combined with the same working memory…
Design
RCT, randomly allocated, sham controlled, single-blind
Follow-up
Immediate (up to 5 minutes post-tDCS)
Authors
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Demonstrates non-invasive neuromodulation can acutely enhance parasympathetic tone; leaves open whether this.
RCT (n=20)
Single-blind
Randomly allocated
No
Does active prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with a working memory task alter heart rate variability in healthy participants compared to sham stimulation?
Standardized Mean Difference: 1.04
p-value: p=0.030
Prefrontal tDCS increases parasympathetic tone (measured by HF-HRV) but may impede practice-related improvements in working memory response time at high current densities.
Nikolin et al. (2017) conducted an RCT in Healthy participants (n=20). Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) vs. Sham tDCS was evaluated on High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) (Cohen's d 1.04, p=0.030). Active prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation significantly increased high-frequency heart rate variability compared to sham stimulation (Cohen's d 1.04, p=0.030).
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