Neuromodulatory feasibility of a current limiter-based tDCS device: a resting-state electroencephalography study

Yun-Sung Lee; Miseon Shim; Ga-Young Choi; Sang Ho Kim; Wansu Lim; Jin-Woo Jeong; Young-Jin Jung; Han-Jeong Hwang

doi:10.1007/s13534-023-00269-9

Neuromodulatory feasibility of a current limiter-based tDCS device: a resting-state electroencephalography study

Biomed Eng Lett. 2023 Feb 8;13(3):407-415. doi: 10.1007/s13534-023-00269-9. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Yun-Sung Lee^#^{1

2}, Miseon Shim^#¹, Ga-Young Choi¹, Sang Ho Kim³, Wansu Lim⁴, Jin-Woo Jeong⁵, Young-Jin Jung^{6

7}, Han-Jeong Hwang^{1

2

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electronics and Information, Korea University, 30019 Sejong, Republic of Korea.
² Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Artificial Intelligence Smart Convergence Technology, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Industrial Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, 39177 Gumi, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Aeronautics, Mechanical, and Electronic Convergence Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, 39177 Gumi, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Data Science, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 01811 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁶ School of Healthcare and Biomedical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 59626 Yeosu, Republic of Korea.
⁷ 50, Daehak-ro, 59626 Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do Republic of Korea.
⁸ Sejong-ro, Jochiwon-eup, 2511, 30019 Sejong-si, Republic of Korea.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Recently, we introduced a current limiter-based novel transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) device that does not generate significant tDCS-induced electrical artifacts, thereby facilitating simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) measurement during tDCS application. In this study, we investigated the neuromodulatory effect of the tDCS device using resting-state EEG data measured during tDCS application in terms of EEG power spectral densities (PSD) and brain network indices (clustering coefficient and path length). Resting-state EEG data were recorded from 10 healthy subjects during both eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) states for each of five different conditions (baseline, sham, post-sham, tDCS, and post-tDCS). In the tDCS condition, tDCS was applied for 12 min with a current intensity of 1.5 mA, whereas tDCS was applied only for the first 30 s in the sham condition. EEG PSD and brain network indices were computed for the alpha frequency band most closely associated with resting-state EEG. Both alpha PSD and network indices were found to significantly increase during and after tDCS application compared to those of the baseline condition in the EO state, but not in the EC state owing to the ceiling effect. Our results demonstrate the neuromodulatory effect of the tDCS device that does not generate significant tDCS-induced electrical artifacts, thereby allowing simultaneous measurement of electrical brain activity. We expect our novel tDCS device to be practically useful in exploring the impact of tDCS on neuromodulation more precisely using ongoing EEG data simultaneously measured during tDCS application.

Keywords: Alpha frequency band; Brain network; Power spectral density (PSD); Resting-state electroencephalography; Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS).

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