Enhancement of precise hand movement by transcranial direct current stimulation

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the precise nondominant hand movement was investigated by applying anodal stimulation over the right primary motor cortex. We recruited 14 healthy participants for this single-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial. A circle-drawing task was performed before, immediately after, and at 30 min after 20 min of 1 mA anodal or sham tDCS. Anodal tDCS, compared with sham stimulation, significantly improved the circle-drawing task compared with sham stimulation. The deviation area and path length of the task were significantly decreased after anodal tDCS application and were further enhanced at 30 min after stimulation. These results suggest that anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex enhances the precise movement of the nondominant hand for 30 min in healthy participants. NeuroReport 22: 78-82 (C) 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.