Parameters Characterization and Cognitive-Behavioral Effects of Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation

Neuromodulation is being recognized as “technology impacting on the neural interface” And noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is becoming an interesting alternative for this interface. Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) is emerging as an option in the field of neuromodulation as a technique that employs weak, pulsed current at different frequency ranges, inducing electrical fields that reach cortical and subcortical structures; however, little is known about its properties and mechanistic effects on electrical brain activity and how it can modulate its oscillatory patterns. Moreover, there is not clear understanding in how tPCS can affect cognition and behavior or its neurophysiological correlates as indexed by autonomic responses. This research looked at the mechanisms behind tPCS in four randomized clinical trials; the main aim of each experiment was to evaluate the effects of tPCS in quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and cognitive-behavioral testing by exploring different parameters of stimulation. Based in the findings obtained per experiment, tPCS can be defined as a safe and tolerable technique that modulates the power spectrum of qEEG signals by means of applied randomized frequencies in a pre-defined range, tPCS also facilitates connectivity in the area of influence by the electrical field and this has an impact on optimization of performance by decreasing reaction times (RT) in attention switching task and by facilitating wide-ranging network processing as in the case of arithmetic functioning. This work also delivered an insight about the potential that tPCS has for future clinical applications.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Quezada, J. León Morales

• Transcranial pulsed current stimulation
• quantitative electroencephalography
• cognition

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/9a00fe35-3d22-44a2-b40d-3447577812f4/download