ArticleScientific reports2021
Neurophysiological and behavioural effects of conventional and high definition tDCS.
Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Transcranial direct current stimulation on social communication among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Enhancing the response inhibition skill of soccer players with repeated tDCS: a randomized controlled ERP study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Exploring HD-tDCS Effect on μ-opioid Receptor and Pain Sensitivity in Temporomandibular Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial Study.The journal of pain · 2024Trial
- Placebo effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on motor skill acquisition.Neuroscience letters · 2023Trial
- [Research on enhancement of mental rotation ability based on transcranial direct current stimulation].Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi · 2021Trial
- Neurostimulation in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: Underlying mechanisms and critical analysis of circuit-based interventions.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Review
- Working-memory effects of prefrontal tDCS across baseline cognitive-severity groups in schizophrenia: A secondary analysis of a randomized double-blind sham-controlled trial.Schizophrenia research. Cognition · 2026Article
- The underlying mechanisms of tDCS-Based cognitive enhancement in unpredictable task switching: A machine learning-based approach for EEG signal analysis.Neuroimage. Reports · 2026Article
- Bifocal Beta-frequency Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Enhances Somatosensory Spatial Discrimination.Brain topography · 2026Article
- Gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation increases segregation in the sensorimotor network.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Absence of evidence for post-training tDCS effects on motor memory consolidation and premotor-primary motor cortex interaction: a resting-state EEG study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Miniaturized Wireless tDCS With Concentric Electrodes for Targeted Cortical Stimulation in Freely Moving Mice.Advanced healthcare materials · 2025Article
- HD-tDCS improves conflict processing and general behavioral stability.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Modulating neuroplasticity for chronic pain relief: noninvasive neuromodulation as a promising approach.Experimental & molecular medicine · 2025Review
- Multifocal transcranial electrical stimulation to enhance cognitive functions: a systematic review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Review
- An integrated multifocal tDCS-EEG protocol for reducing cognitive and affective symptoms in mild cognitive impairment and early stages of dementia: a crossover double-blind randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Comparing the effect of transcranial random noise stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex on motor performance in men vs. women: a randomized controlled crossover study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- A review on the reporting and assessment of adverse effects associated with high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) seems to overcome a drawback of traditional bipolar tDCS: the wide-spread diffusion of the electric field. Nevertheless, most of the differences that characterise the two techniques are based on mathematical simulations and not on real, behavioural and neurophysiological, data. The study aims to compare a widespread tDCS montage (i.e., a Conventional bipolar montage with extracephalic return electrode) and HD-tDCS, investigating differences both at a behavioural level, in terms of dexterity performance, and a neurophysiological level, as modifications of alpha and beta power as measured with EEG. Thirty participants took part in three sessions, one for each montage: Conventional tDCS, HD-tDCS, and sham. In all the conditions, the anode was placed over C4, while the cathode/s placed according to the montage. At baseline, during, and after each stimulation condition, dexterity was assessed with a Finger Tapping Task. In addition, resting-state EEG was recorded at baseline and after the stimulation. Power spectrum density was calculated, selecting two frequency bands: alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (18-22 Hz). Linear mixed effect models (LMMs) were used to analyse the modulation induced by tDCS. To evaluate differences among the montages and consider state-dependency phenomenon, the post-stimulation measurements were covariate-adjusted for baseline levels. We observed that HD-tDCS induced an alpha power reduction in participants with lower alpha at baseline. Conversely, Conventional tDCS induced a beta power reduction in participants with higher beta at baseline. Furthermore, data showed a trend towards a behavioural effect of HD-tDCS in participants with lower beta at baseline showing faster response times. Conventional and HD-tDCS distinctively modulated cortical activity. The study highlights the importance of considering state-dependency to determine the effects of tDCS on individuals.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.