Combining transcranial direct current stimulation with fMRI

Anodal and cathodal transcranial direct current stimulations (tDCS) have been shown to have facilitatory and inhibitory effects over the motor and visual areas. In the present study we investigated the effects of repetitive anodal and cathodal tDCS on human brain activity and associated hemodynamics by concurrent blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. Neither anodal nor cathodal tDCS over the left primary motor cortex (M1) at 1 mA intensity for 20 seconds stimulation duration induced a detectable BOLD signal change. However, in comparison to a voluntary finger…