Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38235279›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2023

The effect of bipolar bihemispheric tDCS on executive function and working memory abilities.

Adam J Toth, Cliodhna Harvey, Hannah Gullane, Niall Kelly, Adam Bruton, Mark J Campbell

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Adam J TothDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Cliodhna HarveyDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Hannah GullaneDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Niall KellyDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Adam BrutonDepartment of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
Mark J CampbellDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
University of Limerick · IEScience Foundation Ireland · IEUniversity of Roehampton · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Cognitive functioning is central to the ability to learn, problem solve, remember, and use information in a rapid and accurate manner and cognitive abilities are fundamental for communication, autonomy, and quality of life. Transcranial electric stimulation (tES) is a very promising tool shown to improve various motor and cognitive functions. When applied as a direct current stimulus (transcranial direct current stimulation; tDCS) over the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC), this form of neurostimulation has mixed results regarding its ability to slow cognitive deterioration and potentially enhance cognitive functioning, requiring further investigation. This study set out to comprehensively investigate the effect that anodal and cathodal bipolar bihemispheric tDCS have on executive function and working memory abilities. Methods: 72 healthy young adults were recruited, and each participant was randomly allocated to either a control group (CON), a placebo group (SHAM) or one of two neurostimulation groups (Anodal; A-STIM and Cathodal; C-STIM). All participants undertook cognitive tests (Stroop & N Back) before and after a 30-minute stimulation/ sham/ control protocol. Results: Overall, our results add further evidence that tDCS may not be as efficacious for enhancing cognitive functioning as it has been shown to be for enhancing motor learning when applied over M1. We also provide evidence that the effect of neurostimulation on cognitive functioning may be moderated by sex, with males demonstrating a benefit from both anodal and cathodal stimulation when considering performance on simple attention trial types within the Stroop task. Discussion: Considering this finding, we propose a new avenue for tDCS research, that the potential that sex may moderate the efficacy of neurostimulation on cognitive functioning.

Indexed as

executive functionsleft dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)neuromodulationtranscranial direct cortical stimulation (tDCS)working memory (WM)

Identifiers

PMID38235279
PMCPMC10791995
OpenAlexW4390570635

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.