Pubblicazioni

Effects of conventional and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on driving abilities: A tDCS-driving simulator study

Facchin, A.; Rocca, S. La; Vacchi, L.; Daini, R.; Gobbo, M.; Fontana, S.; Lega, C.

Abstract:

Due to the multitasking nature of driving, drivers are physiologically distracted by both relevant and irrelevant environmental stimuli. The ability to select relevant stimuli and suppress irrelevant distractors during driving are two relevant factors for safety. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that the frontal eye field (FEF) plays an important role in target selection and distractors suppression, as well as in attentional mechanisms crucial for safety driving performance. Taking these two points into account, this study was designed to examine the effects of different transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) montages over right FEF to determine whether stimulation of FEF could improve attentional mechanisms in a simulated driving environment. Twenty-seven adult participants took part in the study. A specific driving simulator task was developed in which participants had to respond to brake light events of a preceding car in front of them while driving. The second distracting task consisted of road signs of countries and cities that appeared together with braking lights or alone. Participants were required to respond to one of the two categories with their right hand. These two tasks could be performed alone or in a combined condition. Each participant completed three sessions comparing the effects of different tDCS montages, i.e. conventional, focal 4*1 ring high-definition (HD-tDCS) and sham stimulations over the right FEF. Results indicated an overall better performance under the focal HD-tDCS condition. In particular, participants improved their performance both in braking light RTs and in the second distracting task. Taken together these results are interesting from a theoretical and methodological point of view, by demonstrating a direct effect of anodal focal HD-tDCS on FEF in attentional response during an ecological driving task.

Patologie/Applicazioni:

• Stimolazione elettrica transcranica (TES)
• Realtà virtuale
• Potenziamento motorio

Anno:

2023

Tipo di pubblicazione:

Articolo

Parola chiave:

motor rehabilitation; neuromodulation; tDCS; distraction; driving; driving simulator; focal HD-tDCS; FEF

Testata scientifica:

Science direct - Elsevier

Mese:

09

Nota:

Lo scopo di questo studio, approvato dal Comitato Etico dell'Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, era quello di esaminare gli effetti di diversi montaggi convenzionali tDCS (Stimolazione elettrica transcranica a corrente diretta) e focali HD-tDCS (High Density tDCS) sul FEF (campo oculare frontale) destro per valutare se queste stimolazioni potessero migliorare le prestazioni di attenzione in un ambiente di guida simulato immersivo. I risultati hanno mostrato che la stimolazione del FEF destro, fornita da un dispositivo indossabile stimolatore tES multicanale della NeuroElectrics - lo Starstim 32 - migliora significativamente le prestazioni di guida, diminuendo i tempi di reazione sia in risposta alle luci dei freni di un'auto che precede, sia nelle risposte manuali a rilevanti distrattori visivi durante la guida. Inoltre, i presenti risultati hanno dimostrato per la prima volta che la stimolazione selettiva del FEF destro è in grado di modulare la prestazione attentiva anche durante situazioni complesse della vita reale, corroborando l’idea che l’HD-tDCS possa offrire una promettente tecnica di neuromodulazione a coloro che sono interessati a migliorare la prestazione in situazioni difficili.

DOI:

10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102111