Personalized high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation improves cognition following carbon monoxide poisoning induced amnesia: A case report
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) has the potential to improve cognitive functioning following neurological injury and in neurodegenerative conditions. In this case report, we present the first use of HD-tDCS in a person with severe anterograde amnesia following carbon monoxide poisoning. METHOD: The participant underwent two rounds of HD-tDCS that were separated by 3 months (Round 1 = 30 sessions; Round 2 = 31 sessions). We used finite element modeling of the participant's structural MRI to develop an individualized montage that targeted multiple brain regions involved in memory encoding, as identified by Neurosynth. RESULTS: Overall, the participant's objective cognitive functioning improved significantly following Round 1, declined during the 2 months without HD-tDCS, and again improved following Round 2. Subjective informant reports from family and medical personnel followed this same pattern of improvement following each round with a decline in between rounds. We also provide preliminary evidence of altered brain activity during a learning/memory task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which may help establish the physiological effects of HD-tDCS in future work. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings reinforce the potential value of HD-tDCS as a user-friendly method of enhancing cognition following anoxic/hypoxic brain injury.
Institutions: University of Michigan, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Institute on Aging
Award: G2131316187
OpenAlex ID: W4404981866