The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Inhibitory Control and interference Control in Athletes and Non-athletes

Shabahang, Asieh; Abedanzadeh, Rasool; Ramezanzadeh, Hesam · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.24425/ppb.2022.141866

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Summary

This study investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on inhibitory and interference control in athletes and non-athletes. Motivated by the critical role of executive functions in motor skill acquisition and athletic performance, the research aimed to determine if tDCS could enhance these cognitive processes, potentially offering a method to improve performance in dynamic sports environments. The study employed a single-blind, semi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group. Forty-eight female participants (aged 18–30) were recruited via convenience sampling, comprising 24 athletes and 24 non-athletes. Each group was randomly assigned to either a real stimulation or a sham stimulation condition. The real stimulation group received three sessions of 2 mA electric current for 20 minutes, with the anode placed on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the cathode on the right DLPFC. The sham group received stimulation for only the first 30 seconds of each session. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Go/No Go task to measure inhibitory control and the Stroop task to measure interference control, administered before and after the stimulation protocol. Results indicated that tDCS significantly improved performance in both inhibitory and interference control tasks. For inhibitory control, mixed-ANOVA revealed significant main effects for stimulation type and significant interaction effects involving the test phase and group variables. Post-hoc analyses showed that participants receiving real stimulation had significantly better inhibition scores in the post-test compared to the sham group. Similarly, for interference control, real stimulation led to a significant reduction in interference time (faster response times) in the Stroop task compared to sham stimulation. These improvements were observed regardless of athletic status, although athletes generally demonstrated higher baseline cognitive performance. The study also noted that real stimulation groups showed significant improvements from pre-test to post-test, whereas sham groups did not. The findings suggest that bilateral tDCS of the DLPFC effectively enhances inhibitory and interference control in healthy adults. The study concludes that tDCS is a viable intervention for improving executive functions, which are crucial for athletic performance and everyday cognitive tasks. The results align with previous research indicating that tDCS can modulate brain excitability to improve cognitive processing. However, the authors note limitations, including the small sample size and the specific demographic of female participants, suggesting a need for further research to generalize these findings. The study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting non-invasive brain stimulation as a tool for cognitive enhancement in sports and clinical contexts.

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• executive function