Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34438046›Full record

ArticleBrain stimulation

Investigating the interaction between white matter and brain state on tDCS-induced changes in brain network activity.

Danielle L Kurtin, Ines R Violante, Karl Zimmerman, Robert Leech, Adam Hampshire, Maneesh C Patel, David W Carmichael, David J Sharp, Lucia M Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 28% 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

13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. White matter predicts tDCS antidepressant effects in a sham-controlled clinical trial study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2023
    Trial
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  9. Long-term potentiation and long-term depression are both impaired afterBiomedical physics & engineering express · 2025
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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

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Danielle L KurtinComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom. Electronic address: danielle.kurtin18@imperial.ac.uk.
Ines R ViolanteNeuromodulation Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.
Karl ZimmermanComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Robert LeechCentre for Neuroimaging Science, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London, United Kingdom.
Adam HampshireComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Biomedical Imaging, King's College London, 3rd Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
Maneesh C PatelComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
David W CarmichaelDepartment of Biomedical Imaging, King's College London, 3rd Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
David J SharpComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Imperial UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial Care Research and Technology Centre, United Kingdom.
Lucia M LiComputational, Clinical, and Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Imperial UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial Care Research and Technology Centre, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lucia.li@imperial.ac.uk.
Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · GBSt Thomas' Hospital · GBUniversity of Surrey · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/S008314/1Wellcome Trust 103045/Z/13/ZWellcome Trust 103429/Z/13/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation whose potential as a cognitive therapy is hindered by our limited understanding of how participant and experimental factors influence its effects. Using functional MRI to study brain networks, we have previously shown in healthy controls that the physiological effects of tDCS are strongly influenced by brain state. We have additionally shown, in both healthy and traumatic brain injury (TBI) populations, that the behavioral effects of tDCS are positively correlated with white matter (WM) structure.

objectivesIn this study we investigate how these two factors, WM structure and brain state, interact to shape the effect of tDCS on brain network activity.

methodsWe applied anodal, cathodal and sham tDCS to the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) of healthy (n = 22) and TBI participants (n = 34). We used the Choice Reaction Task (CRT) performance to manipulate brain state during tDCS. We acquired simultaneous fMRI to assess activity of cognitive brain networks and used Fractional Anisotropy (FA) as a measure of WM structure.

resultsWe find that the effects of tDCS on brain network activity in TBI participants are highly dependent on brain state, replicating findings from our previous healthy control study in a separate, patient cohort. We then show that WM structure further modulates the brain-state dependent effects of tDCS on brain network activity. These effects are not unidirectional - in the absence of task with anodal and cathodal tDCS, FA is positively correlated with brain activity in several regions of the default mode network. Conversely, with cathodal tDCS during CRT performance, FA is negatively correlated with brain activity in a salience network region.

conclusionsOur results show that experimental and participant factors interact to have unexpected effects on brain network activity, and that these effects are not fully predictable by studying the factors in isolation.

Indexed as

Transcranial Direct Current StimulationWhite MatterBrainHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingPrefrontal CortexDefault mode networkMagnetic resonance imagingSalience networkStimulationTraumatic brain injuryWhite matter structure

Identifiers

PMID34438046
PMCPMC8460997
OpenAlexW3195187780

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.