Submit a report

Announcements

Please note that we will be CLOSED to ALL SUBMISSIONS from 1 December 2024 through 12 January 2025 to give our recommenders and reviewers a holiday break.

We are recruiting recommenders (editors) from all research fields!

Your feedback matters! If you have authored or reviewed a Registered Report at Peer Community in Registered Reports, then please take 5 minutes to leave anonymous feedback about your experience, and view community ratings.

656

Dose-response of tDCS effects on motor learning and cortical excitability: a preregistered studyuse asterix (*) to get italics
Gavin Hsu, Dylan J. Edwards, Leonardo G. Cohen, Lucas C. ParraPlease use the format "First name initials family name" as in "Marie S. Curie, Niels H. D. Bohr, Albert Einstein, John R. R. Tolkien, Donna T. Strickland"
2024
<p>Neuromodulatory effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the primary motor cortex (M1) have been reported in terms of changes in corticospinal excitability using motor evoked potentials (MEPs), as well as behavioral effects during motor skill learning. While both effects are thought to be mediated by synaptic plasticity, empirical evidence of a common neural substrate is lacking. Complicating matters, the effects are relatively small, leading to mixed results, or even reversing effects when applying currents up to 2mA. In this ongoing preregistered study we aim to determine the dose-response of tDCS on cortical excitability and motor skill learning at higher current intensities in humans. In a double-blind, sham-controlled, counterbalanced design, 120 healthy subjects are assigned to one of three groups (N=40 each), receiving either 4mA, 6mA, or 0mA tDCS. tDCS is applied concurrently targeting M1, while the subject performs a 12-minute long explicit sequence learning task using their left hand. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are measured on the left first dorsal interosseus (FDI) immediately before and after the task. TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) are recorded simultaneously with MEPs using electroencephalography (EEG) as a measure of cortico-cortical excitability. The trial is powered to test for a monotonic or non-monotonic dose-response relationship between tDCS intensity and motor skill performance as well as change in MEP amplitude. Correlation between physiological and behavioral effects would provide support for the notion that these stimulation effects share a common neural substrate. More importantly, this trial aims to establish whether tDCS can have robust effects on motor skill learning.</p>
You should fill this box only if you chose 'All or part of the results presented in this preprint are based on data'. URL must start with http:// or https://
You should fill this box only if you chose 'Scripts were used to obtain or analyze the results'. URL must start with http:// or https://
You should fill this box only if you chose 'Codes have been used in this study'. URL must start with http:// or https://
tDCS, TMS, EEG, neuromodulation, motor learning, synaptic plasticity
NonePlease indicate the methods that may require specialised expertise during the peer review process (use a comma to separate various required expertises).
Engineering, Life Sciences
Kate Watkins [kate.watkins@psy.ox.ac.uk] suggested: I am sorry but I have been unwell and am unable to review this manuscript. , Kate Watkins [kate.watkins@psy.ox.ac.uk] suggested: You could try my previous student who is now faculty at Bangor , Kate Watkins [kate.watkins@psy.ox.ac.uk] suggested: Charlie Wiltshire c.wiltshire@bangor.ac.uk, Charlie Wiltshire suggested: Harriet Smith: harriet.j.smith@ucl.ac.uk , Charlie Wiltshire suggested: Daniel Lametti: https://psychology.acadiau.ca/daniel-lametti.html No need for them to be recommenders of PCI Registered Reports. Please do not suggest reviewers for whom there might be a conflict of interest. Reviewers are not allowed to review preprints written by close colleagues (with whom they have published in the last four years, with whom they have received joint funding in the last four years, or with whom they are currently writing a manuscript, or submitting a grant proposal), or by family members, friends, or anyone for whom bias might affect the nature of the review - see the code of conduct
e.g. John Doe [john@doe.com]
2024-01-11 00:11:23
Christina Artemenko