Long-term effects of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the acquisition and extinction of conditioned eyeblink responses

Otilia Kimpel; Thomas Hulst; Giorgi Batsikadze; Thomas M. Ernst; Michael A. Nitsche; Dagmar Timmann; Marcus Gerwig

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-80023-8

Long-term effects of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the acquisition and extinction of conditioned eyeblink responses

Otilia Kimpel
, Thomas Hulst
, Giorgi Batsikadze
, Thomas M. Ernst
, Michael A. Nitsche
, Dagmar Timmann
, Marcus Gerwig^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

University Hospital Essen
University of Würzburg
Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors
Ruhr University Bochum

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to enhance the acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses (CR), a form of associative motor learning. The aim of the present study was to determine possible long-term effects of cerebellar tDCS on the acquisition and extinction of CRs. Delay eyeblink conditioning was performed in 40 young and healthy human participants. On day 1, 100 paired CS (conditioned stimulus)–US (unconditioned stimulus) trials were applied. During the first 50 paired CS–US trials, 20 participants received anodal cerebellar tDCS, and 20 participants received sham stimulation. On days 2, 8 and 29, 50 paired CS–US trials were applied, followed by 30 CS-only extinction trials on day 29. CR acquisition was not significantly different between anodal and sham groups. During extinction, CR incidences were significantly reduced in the anodal group compared to sham, indicating reduced retention. In the anodal group, learning related increase of CR magnitude tended to be reduced, and timing of CRs tended to be delayed. The present data do not confirm previous findings of enhanced acquisition of CRs induced by anodal cerebellar tDCS. Rather, the present findings suggest a detrimental effect of anodal cerebellar tDCS on CR retention and possibly CR performance.

Original language	English
Article number	22434
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	10
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80023-8
Publication status	Published - Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The study was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 316803389-SFB1280, projects A05 and A06.

Funding Information:
O. Kimpel, Th. Hulst, G. Batsikadze and Th. Ernst declare no competing interests. M.A. Nitsche is at the scientific advidory boards of Neuroelectrics, and Neurodevice, and is funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280 “Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280”. D. Timmann received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation (SFB 1280 Project A05), Mercur Research Center Ruhr and the German Heredoataxia Foundation (DHAG). M. Gerwig received speaker honoraria and/or travel reimbursement from Novartis, Pfizer and Ipsen Pharma and research support from MSD.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

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Cite this

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title = "Long-term effects of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the acquisition and extinction of conditioned eyeblink responses",

abstract = "Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to enhance the acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses (CR), a form of associative motor learning. The aim of the present study was to determine possible long-term effects of cerebellar tDCS on the acquisition and extinction of CRs. Delay eyeblink conditioning was performed in 40 young and healthy human participants. On day 1, 100 paired CS (conditioned stimulus)–US (unconditioned stimulus) trials were applied. During the first 50 paired CS–US trials, 20 participants received anodal cerebellar tDCS, and 20 participants received sham stimulation. On days 2, 8 and 29, 50 paired CS–US trials were applied, followed by 30 CS-only extinction trials on day 29. CR acquisition was not significantly different between anodal and sham groups. During extinction, CR incidences were significantly reduced in the anodal group compared to sham, indicating reduced retention. In the anodal group, learning related increase of CR magnitude tended to be reduced, and timing of CRs tended to be delayed. The present data do not confirm previous findings of enhanced acquisition of CRs induced by anodal cerebellar tDCS. Rather, the present findings suggest a detrimental effect of anodal cerebellar tDCS on CR retention and possibly CR performance.",

author = "Otilia Kimpel and Thomas Hulst and Giorgi Batsikadze and Ernst, \{Thomas M.\} and Nitsche, \{Michael A.\} and Dagmar Timmann and Marcus Gerwig",

note = "Funding Information: The study was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 316803389-SFB1280, projects A05 and A06. Funding Information: O. Kimpel, Th. Hulst, G. Batsikadze and Th. Ernst declare no competing interests. M.A. Nitsche is at the scientific advidory boards of Neuroelectrics, and Neurodevice, and is funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280 “Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280”. D. Timmann received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation (SFB 1280 Project A05), Mercur Research Center Ruhr and the German Heredoataxia Foundation (DHAG). M. Gerwig received speaker honoraria and/or travel reimbursement from Novartis, Pfizer and Ipsen Pharma and research support from MSD. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s).",

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AU - Ernst, Thomas M.

AU - Nitsche, Michael A.

AU - Timmann, Dagmar

AU - Gerwig, Marcus

N1 - Funding Information: The study was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 316803389-SFB1280, projects A05 and A06. Funding Information: O. Kimpel, Th. Hulst, G. Batsikadze and Th. Ernst declare no competing interests. M.A. Nitsche is at the scientific advidory boards of Neuroelectrics, and Neurodevice, and is funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280 “Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—Projektnummer 316803389—SFB 1280”. D. Timmann received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation (SFB 1280 Project A05), Mercur Research Center Ruhr and the German Heredoataxia Foundation (DHAG). M. Gerwig received speaker honoraria and/or travel reimbursement from Novartis, Pfizer and Ipsen Pharma and research support from MSD. Publisher Copyright: © 2020, The Author(s).

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N2 - Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to enhance the acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses (CR), a form of associative motor learning. The aim of the present study was to determine possible long-term effects of cerebellar tDCS on the acquisition and extinction of CRs. Delay eyeblink conditioning was performed in 40 young and healthy human participants. On day 1, 100 paired CS (conditioned stimulus)–US (unconditioned stimulus) trials were applied. During the first 50 paired CS–US trials, 20 participants received anodal cerebellar tDCS, and 20 participants received sham stimulation. On days 2, 8 and 29, 50 paired CS–US trials were applied, followed by 30 CS-only extinction trials on day 29. CR acquisition was not significantly different between anodal and sham groups. During extinction, CR incidences were significantly reduced in the anodal group compared to sham, indicating reduced retention. In the anodal group, learning related increase of CR magnitude tended to be reduced, and timing of CRs tended to be delayed. The present data do not confirm previous findings of enhanced acquisition of CRs induced by anodal cerebellar tDCS. Rather, the present findings suggest a detrimental effect of anodal cerebellar tDCS on CR retention and possibly CR performance.

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Long-term effects of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the acquisition and extinction of conditioned eyeblink responses

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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