Anodal online transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates visual motion perceptual learning. (26th December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Di; Zhang, Pan; Wang, Yifan; Liu, Na; Sun, Kewei; Wang, Panhui; Xiao, Wei
• Is Part Of: European journal of neuroscience. Volume 57:Number 3(2023)
• Page Start: 479
• Page End: 489
• Publication Date: 2022-12-26
• Subjects: human middle temporal complex -- motion direction discrimination -- transcranial direct current stimulation -- visual perceptual learning; Nervous system -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15895
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-816X

Abstract

Abstract: Visual perceptual learning (VPL) has great potential implications for clinical populations, but adequate improvement often takes weeks to months to obtain; therefore, practical applications of VPL are limited. Strategies that enhance visual performance acquisition make great practical sense. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could be beneficial to VPL, but thus far, the results are inconsistent. The current study had two objectives: (1) to investigate the effect of anodal tDCS on VPL and (2) to determine whether the timing sequence of anodal tDCS and training influences VPL. Anodal tDCS was applied on the left human middle temporal (hMT+) during training on a coherent motion discrimination task (online), anodal tDCS was also applied before training (offline) and sham tDCS was applied during training (sham). The coherent thresholds were measured without stimulation before, 2 days after and 1 month after training. All participants trained for five consecutive days. Anodal tDCS resulted in more performance improvement when applied during daily training but not when applied before training. Additionally, neither within‐session improvement nor between‐session improvement differed among the online, offline and sham tDCS conditions. These findings contribute to the development of efficient stimulation protocols and a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effect of tDCS on VPL. Abstract : Anodal online tDCS over the left hMT+, compared with anodal offline and sham tDCS, can improve visual motion perceptual learning after 5‐day training sessions. This facilitated effect of online tDCS does not occur through the within‐ and between‐session improvements, indicating that tDCS does not change the performance amount during training and consolidation.