Enhancing Locomotor Learning With Motor Imagery And Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Impaired premotor cortex (PMc) function is associated with age-related motor deficits. Neurorehabilitation through motorimagery (MI) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may enhance motor function through neuroplasticity. Purpose: To develop a non-motor intervention that results in motor improvements using MI and tDCS. Methods: A double-blind RCT was performed with 33 young, able-bodied individuals assigned to one of three groups; MIActive, MISham, or Control. Participants walked a novel, cognitively demanding, 44-meter obstacle course while time-to-completion (TTC) and PMc activation was recorded with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Following the pretest, Active or ShamtDCS was delivered during an MI intervention for 20 minutes. MIActive received a current of 2.0mA. MISham received a sham stimulation. Controls did not participate in MI training. Participants completed the course immediately and one week after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine group by time (pre, post, one-week) interaction effects for TTC). Results: MIActive had significant improvements in TTC from the pretest to posttest, posttest to one-week, and pretest to one-week (46s vs. 41s (p=0.000); 41s vs. 39s (p=0.042); 46s vs. 39s(p=0.000)). Main effects of time and group were found in. All groups decreased from pre to posttest (p=0.047) and MIActive was always lower than other groups (p=0.012).