Application of fMRI in Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Researches

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) noninvasively modulates the excitability of the brain, and is a promising method for treating diseases in the central nervous system. tDCS is safe, effective and affordable, and has been increasingly applied in neuroscience research. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a widely-used tool to evaluate the therapeutic effects and the underlying neural mechanisms of tDCS. Herein we briefly reviewed the progresses of applications of fMRI in tDCS research. Both clinical trials and animal model experiments were discussed, as well as the perspectives of future applications.

Keywords

• transcranial direct current stimulation (tdcs)
• functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri)
• central nervous system