Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Posterior Parietal Cortex on the Control of Visual Attention

Abstract

This study aimed at the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right posterior parietal cortex on the control of visual attention during walking in healthy adults. Twenty-four healthy participants received two conditions of tDCS (anodal and sham) in a double-blind, cross-over, and sham-controlled experimental study. The stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effects were measured for assessing the control of visual attention at pre-intervention periods, immediate post-intervention periods, and 30 min after the intervention. Two-way repeated-measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the effects of time and stimulation condition in the entire field of view and each field of view (left and right). No significant changes in the SRC effects were observed in the entire field of view with respect to time (P = 0.14), tDCS condition (P = 0.42), and the combination of time and stimulation conditions (P = 0.66). Likewise, no significant changes in the SRC effects were observed in the left and right fields of view with respect to time (P = 0.08 and P = 0.78, respectively), tDCS condition (P = 0.17 and P = 0.98, respectively), and the combination of time and stimulation conditions (P = 0.37 and P = 0.85). Future studies using different stimulus conditions of tDCS (e.g., different electrode montage or timing of application) are required to evaluate the effects of tDCS on the control of visual attention during walking.