The effect of cortical non-invasive stimulation (tdcs) in healthy ageing. Eeg and behavioural correlates

Journal title RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA
Author/s Michela Balconi, Francesca Pala, Davide Crivelli
Publishing Year 2016 Issue 2016/1 Language Italian
Pages 18 P. 45-62 File size 90 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIP2016-001004
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According to the active and healthy ageing theoretical framework, physiological ageing is a dynamic process characterized even by opportunities for maintaining and strengthening cognitive and affective-social skills. Empowerment by neuromodulation protocols may then act as useful tools to contrast physiological cognitive decline and potential pathological development. Moving from evidences on the primary role of prefrontal neural structures and prefrontal executive functions in the ageing process, we devised and tested a novel neuromodulation empowerment protocol using a non-invasive brain stimulation technique (tDCS). The integrated comparison of psychometric and electrophysiological (event-related potentials - ERP) outcome measures between the experimental and control groups pointed out that the former presented better performances at tests on executive functions and enhanced electrophysiological responses associated to attention control (N200). Such effects seem to be partially maintained even at a follow-up assessment, and that suggests interesting practical implications for the inclusion of neuromodulation techniques in prevention and early intervention projects.

Keywords: Aging, plasticity, tDCS, prefrontal cortex, empowerment, neuromodulation

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Michela Balconi, Francesca Pala, Davide Crivelli, Effetto della neuromodulazione corticale (tdcs) nell’healthy ageing. Correlati eeg e comportamentali in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 1/2016, pp 45-62, DOI: 10.3280/RIP2016-001004