What is tDCS?

What is tdcs?

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) directly and non-invasively stimulates the brain by applying electrical currents to a small region of the scalp. The current is generated by a battery-powered stimulator and passed through rubber electrodes and conductive material (gel or saline-soaked sponges).  The effects of tDCS are neuromodulatory. Anodal tDCS has been shown to increase excitability, whereas cathodal tDCS decreases excitability.

In a recent study, we applied anodal tDCS over the left inferior frontal cortex during a speech motor learning task. We found that tDCS enhanced the learning rate (see Speech Production page for further information). Currently, we are investigating whether tDCS could be used to enhance fluency in people who suffer from speech production problems (see Developmental Stuttering and Aphasia).