Transcranial direct current stimulation to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves performance of obstacle avoidance gait task

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the effect of dual-task interference between cognitive and obstacle avoidance walking tasks, and the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the performance of this cognitive-motor dual task. The healthy young subjects participated in a single task consisting of a three-digit subtraction task (e.g. 783 - 7) or a 15-m track with six 7.5-cm high obstacles. Then, the subjects performed two single tasks simultaneously as dual tasks, before and after sham and anodal tDCS (2 mA, 20 min) to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, the F3 region of the 10/20 electroencephalogram electrode placement system). The effect of tDCS on each outcome (number of correct answers, the clearance height above the obstacle, and foot placement position) was analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Model effects included tDCS (real, sham), time (pre-, post-tDCS), and task (single task, dual task) conditions. A significant difference in the tDCS, time, and task conditions was observed; the correct number of subtraction tasks increased, and the clearance height and the distance between the obstacle and foot decreased in front of the obstacle. Our findings suggest that dual task performance is causally related to left DLPFC activation under complicated walking tasks and tDCS over this cortical area increases overloaded its information processing capacity.