HD-tDCS induced changes in resting-state functional connectivity: Insights from EF modeling
Brain stimulation, vol. 16, pp. 1722–1732
Abstract
BACKGROUND: High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) holds promise for therapeutic use in psychiatric disorders. One obstacle for the implementation into clinical practice is response variability. One way to tackle this obstacle is the use of Individualized head models. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the variability of HD-tDCS induced electric fields (EFs) and its impact on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) during different time windows. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, and sham controlled study, seventy healthy males underwent 20 min of 1.5 mA HD-tDCS on the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) while undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Individual head models and EF simulations were created from anatomical images. The effects of HD-tDCS on rsFC were assessed using a seed-to-voxel analysis. A subgroup analysis explored the relationship between EF magnitude and rsFC during different stimulation time windows. RESULTS: Results highlighted significant variability in HD-tDCS-induced EFs. Compared to the sham group, the active group showed increased rsFC between the rIFG and the left prefrontal cortex, during and after stimulation. During active stimulation, EF magnitude correlated positively with rsFC between the rIFG and the left hippocampus initially, and negatively during the subsequent period. CONCLUSION: This study indicated an HD-tDCS induced increase of rsFC between left and right prefrontal areas. Furthermore, an interaction between the magnitude and the duration of HD-tDCS on rsFC was observed. Due to the high EF variability that was apparent, these findings highlight the need for individualized HD-tDCS protocols and the creation of head models to optimize effects and reduce response heterogeneity.
Authors 5
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: darmueller@ukaachen.de
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Ute Habel Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships
Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Jülich, 52438, Jülich, Germany
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Jülich, 52438, Jülich, Germany
JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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