Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37919761›Full record

Trial reportBiology of sex differences2023

Sex matters for the enhancement of cognitive training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Simone Weller, Birgit Derntl, Christian Plewnia

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Biology of sex differences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04108663 (Lasting Amelioration of Deficient Cognitive Control by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% 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.

NCT04108663 nacompletednot on this map

Lasting Amelioration of Deficient Cognitive Control by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)-Enhanced Training

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Hospital TuebingenRan2016 to 2018Enrolled173ConditionsCognitive ControlArmsEffect of tDCS on cognitive control task performance
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Cerebellar tDCS Modulates Corticocortical Functional Networks in a Regionally Specific Manner.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. 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

3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Simone WellerDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology and Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5348-6513
Birgit DerntlGerman Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0133-4486
Christian PlewniaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology and Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. christian.plewnia@uni-tuebingen.de.ORCID 0000-0003-3852-9906
BG Klinik Tübingen · DEGerman Center for Diabetes Research · DEUniversitätsklinikum Tübingen · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can influence brain network activity and associated cognitive and behavioural functions. In addition to the extensive variety in stimulation parameters, numerous biological factors drive these effects, however these are yet poorly understood. Here, we investigate one of the major biological factors by focusing on sex-dependent effects of tDCS on a challenging cognitive control task (adaptive paced auditory serial addition task [PASAT]) in healthy humans.

methodsThis sex-specific re-analysis was performed on data of 163 subjects who underwent a 2-week cognitive control training (6 sessions in total). Subjects received either verum (anodal/cathodal) or sham tDCS. Electrodes were placed over the left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the respective contralateral deltoid muscle. Cognitive control was measured as performance in the PASAT and was analysed in respect to stimulation conditions (sham, anodal, cathodal) and sex.

resultsRegardless of stimulation condition, performance gains between the sexes were higher in females compared to males (p = 0.0038). Female's performance during anodal tDCS exceeded male's (p = 0.0070), yet no effects were found for cathodal or sham tDCS. Moreover, in females we found a superior effect for anodal tDCS over sham stimulation (f

conclusionsThis study highlights the relevance of biological sex for the effects of tDCS on cognitive training. Thus, an increased attention to biological sex is advisable in future brain stimulation research to highlight and in consequence better understand potentially underlying sex-specific mechanisms. Considering biological sex will further advance customisation and individualisation of tDCS interventions. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04108663.

Indexed as

Transcranial Direct Current StimulationBiological FactorsCognitive TrainingFemaleHumansMaleBiological FactorsBiological sexBrain stimulationCognitive controlCognitive enhancementNeuropsychiatryPrefrontal cortexSex differencesTranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID37919761
PMCPMC10623760
OpenAlexW4388219458

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.