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The study of addiction and impulsion control disorders has shown that behaviors of seeking and consumption of addictive substances are subserved by neurobiological alterations specifically related to brain networks for reward, stress, and executive control, representing the brain's adaptation to the continued use of an addictive substance. In parallel, studies using neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have demonstrated promising effects in modulating cognitive and motor functions. This review aims to describe the neurobiology of addiction and some of the most relevant cognitive models of addictive behavior and to clarify how tDCS application modulates the intake and craving for several addictive substances, such as food, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, and cannabis. We also discuss the positive and null outcomes of the use of this neuromodulatory technique in the treatment of addiction disorders resulting from the use of these substances. The reviewed findings lead us to conclude that tDCS interventions hold several promising clinical avenues in addiction and impulsive control. However, methodological investigations are necessary for undercover optimal parameters before implementing its clinical application.

Human action perception is so powerful that people can identify movement efficiently in the absence of pictorial information, such as in point-light displays. Interest is growing in this type of stimulus for research in neuroscience. This interest stems from the advantage of separating the component of pure human action kinematics from other pictorial information, such as facial expression and muscle contraction. Although several groups have previously developed datasets of human point-light actions, due to the lack of datasets composed of daily actions with short durations, we developed 20 biological and 40 control (scrambled) point-light movements by using the technique of recording people wearing reflector patches. The videos are about 1 s long. Subsequently, we performed a judgment task in which 100 participants (50 male and 50 female) evaluated each video according to three categories: human action resemblance, performed action, and gender of actor. We present the mean scores of each evaluation for each video, and further propose a selection of the most suitable videos to be used as human point-light action displays and scrambled point-light displays for control. Finally, we discuss our findings on the gender attributions of the point-light displays.

The McGurk illusion is one of the most studied illusions in the multisensory integration literature. It is based on the synchronous presentation of visual lip movement, accompanied by a different auditory syllable resulting in the perception of a third syllable. This illusion provides information regarding the unconscious integration of input from different sensory modalities involved in speech perception. Here, we present a review of the use of the McGurk illusion as a tool for the understanding of multisensory integration processes involved in speech perception. This review intends to provide a better knowledge of the McGurk illusion and the multisensory integration processes involved in speech perception. Also, considering the robustness of the illusion and the insights it provides on multisensory integration processes, we present possible uses of the illusion as a tool to investigate multisensory integration in clinical populations.

Observing others' actions desynchronizes electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms and modulates corticospinal excitability as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). However, it remains unclear if these measures reflect similar neurofunctional mechanisms at the individual level. In the present study, a within-subject experiment was designed to assess these two neurophysiological indexes and to quantify their mutual correlation. Participants observed reach-to-grasp actions directed towards a small (precision grip) or a large object (power grip). We focused on two specific time points for both EEG and TMS. The first time point (t1) coincided with the maximum hand aperture, i.e. the moment at which a significant modulation of corticospinal excitability is expected. The second (t2), coincided with the EEG resynchronization occurring at the end of the action, i.e. the moment at which a hypothetic minimum for action observation effect is expected. Results showed a Mu rhythm bilateral desynchronization at t1 with differential resynchronization at t2 in the two hemispheres. Beta rhythm was more desynchronized in the left hemisphere at both time points. These EEG differences, however, were not influenced by grip type. Conversely, motor potentials evoked by TMS in an intrinsic hand muscle revealed an interaction effect of grip and time. No significant correlations between Mu/Beta rhythms and motor evoked potentials were found. These findings are discussed considering the spatial and temporal resolution of the two investigated techniques and argue over two alternative explanations: i. each technique provides different measures of the same process or ii. they describe complementary features of the action observation network in humans.

Previous studies looking at how Mind Wandering (MW) impacts performance in distinct Focused Attention (FA) systems, using the Attention Network Task (ANT), showed that the presence of pure MW thoughts did not impact the overall performance of ANT (alert, orienting and conflict) performance. However, it still remains unclear if the lack of interference of MW in the ANT, reported at the behavioral level, has a neurophysiological correspondence. We hypothesize that a distinct cortical processing may be required to meet attentional demands during MW. The objective of the present study was to test if, given similar levels of ANT performance, individuals predominantly focusing on MW or FA show distinct cortical processing. Thirty-three healthy participants underwent an EEG high-density acquisition while they were performing the ANT. MW was assessed following the ANT using an adapted version of the Resting State Questionnaire (ReSQ). The following ERP's were analyzed: pN1, pP1, P1, N1, pN, and P3. At the behavioral level, participants were slower and less accurate when responding to incongruent than to congruent targets (conflict effect), benefiting from the presentation of the double (alerting effect) and spatial (orienting effect) cues. Consistent with the behavioral data, ERP's waves were discriminative of distinct attentional effects. However, these results remained true irrespective of the MW condition, suggesting that MW imposed no additional cortical demand in alert, orienting, and conflict attention tasks., Acknowledgements Óscar F. Gonçalves was funded by the Brazilian National Counsel for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) as a Special Visiting Researcher of the Science Without Borders program (401143/2014-7). Paulo S Boggio was funded by a CNPq researcher fellowship (311641/2015-6). Olivia Morgan Lapenta and Tatiana Conde were supported by two postdoctoral grants from CNPq (150249/2017-9 and 152358/2016-1). Sandra Carvalho was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with the grant IF/00091/2015. Gabriel Rêgo was supported by a PhD grant from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-2015/18713-9). This work was partially supported by FEDER funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE and by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (P2020-PTDC/MHC-PCN/3950/2014)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Food craving can be defined as the "urge to eat a specific food". Previous findings suggest impairment of inhibitory control, specifically a regulatory deficit in the lateral prefrontal circuitry that is associated with a compulsion for food. As demonstrated by three previous studies, bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (anode right/cathode left) reduces food craving and caloric intake. We designed the present study to evaluate the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects. We replicated the design of one of these previous studies but included electroencephalographic assessments to register evoked potentials in a Go/No-go task that contained pictures of food and furniture (a control visual stimulus). We collected data from nine women (mean age = 23.4 ± 2 years) in a crossover experiment. We observed that active DLPFC tDCS (anode right/cathode left), compared with sham stimulation, reduced the frontal N2 component and enhanced the P3a component of responses to No-go stimuli, regardless of the stimulus condition (food or furniture). Active tDCS was also associated with a reduction in caloric intake. We discuss our findings in the context of cortico-subcortical processing of craving and tDCS effects on inhibitory control neural circuitry.

The mental simulation theory suggests activation of the motor network during imagery and observation of human movements, similarly to the activation during action execution and is proposed to be mediated by the mirror neuron system. This activation can be measured by several technologies such as electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. It is proposed that motor network activation and therefore increased cortical excitability of primary motor cortex occur due to premotor mirror neuron system inputs. This mechanism has been demonstrated as important for planning actions and seems relevant for anticipating others actions and for empathy establishing as well as for language development. In this review we focused on studies relative to electroencephalography data of motor neural network activation during movement observation and imagery in typical and atypical development.

Somatosensory integration is a critical cognitive function for human social interaction. Though somatosensory integration has been highly explored in cognitive studies; only a few studies have explored focal modulation of cortical excitability using a speech perception paradigm. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effects of tDCS applied over the temporal cortex of healthy subjects during a go-no-go task in which stimuli were shapes and non-words. Twenty-eight subjects were randomized to receive cathodal, anodal or sham tDCS bilaterally over the superior temporal cortex (the reference electrode was on deltoid) in a counterbalanced order. The effects on judgment of congruency between shapes and non-words in healthy volunteers were measured by a go-no-go task. Our findings show a significant modification of performance according to the polarity of stimulation, task and subject gender. We found that men performed worse on the no-go condition for congruent stimuli during cathodal tDCS. For reaction time, on the other hand, there was a similar effect for anodal and cathodal stimulation. There were significantly faster responses on incongruent trials during both anodal and cathodal tDCS. Along with previous literature showing gender differences in tasks associated with speech perception, the findings of this study provide additional evidence suggesting that men may have a more focal and restricted neural processing in this multisensory integration task.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and progressive disease related to a gradual decline in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, perceptual-spatial abilities, language, and executive functions. Recent evidence has suggested that interventions promoting neural plasticity can induce significant cognitive gains especially in subjects at risk of or with mild AD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive techniques that can induce significant and long-lasting changes in focal and non-focal neuroplasticity. In this review, we present initial preliminary evidence that TMS and tDCS can enhance performance in cognitive functions typically impaired in AD. Also, we reviewed the initial six studies on AD that presented early findings showing cognitive gains such as in recognition memory and language associated with TMS and tDCS treatment. In addition, we showed that TMS has also been used to assess neuroplasticity changes in AD supporting the notion that cortical excitability is changed in AD due to the neurodegenerative process. Due to the safe profile, cost of these tools, and initial clinical trials results, further studies are warranted in order to replicate and extend the initial findings of rTMS and tDCS as cognitive enhancers in AD. Further trials should explore different targets of stimulation along with different paradigms of stimulation including combination with behavioural interventions.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique with increasing popularity in the fields of basic research and rehabilitation. It is an affordable and safe procedure that is beginning to be used in the clinic, and is a tool with potential to contribute to the understanding of neural mechanisms in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and medical research. This review presents examples of investigations in the fields of perception, basic sensory processes, and sensory rehabilitation that employed tDCS. We highlight some of the most relevant efforts in this area and discuss possible limitations and gaps in contemporary tDCS research. Topics include the five senses, pain, and multimodal integration. The present work aims to present the state of the art of this field of research and to inspire future investigations of perception using tDCS.

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in the cognitive appraisal and modulation of the pain experience. In this sham-controlled study, with healthy volunteers, we used bi-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the DLPFC to assess emotional reactions elicited by pain observation. Left-cathodal/right-anodal tDCS decreased valence and arousal evaluations compared to other tDCS conditions. Compared to sham condition, both left-cathodal/right-anodal and left-anodal/right-cathodal tDCS decreased hostility, sadness and self-pain perception. These decreased sensations after both active tDCS suggest a common role for left and right DLPFC in personal distress modulation. However, the differences in arousal and valence evaluations point to distinct roles of lateralized DLPFC in cognitive empathy, probably through distinct emotion regulation mechanisms., This experiment was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq-480891/2012-5). LMM is supported by a scientific initiation grant (CNPq – 160553/2013-0). OML is supported by a FAPESP PhD grant (FAPESP – 2012/24696-1). PSB is a CNPq research fellow (304164/2012-7).

In the so-called McGurk illusion, when the synchronized presentation of the visual stimulus /ga/ is paired with the auditory stimulus /ba/, people in general hear it as /da/. Multisensory integration processing underlying this illusion seems to occur within the Superior Temporal Sulcus (STS). Herein, we present evidence demonstrating that bilateral cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of this area can decrease the McGurk illusion-type responses. Additionally, we show that the manipulation of this audio-visual integrated output occurs irrespective of the number of eye-fixations on the mouth of the speaker. Bilateral anodal tDCS of the Parietal Cortex also modulates the illusion, but in the opposite manner, inducing more illusion-type responses. This is the first demonstration of using non-invasive brain stimulation to modulate multisensory speech perception in an illusory context (i.e., both increasing and decreasing illusion-type responses to a verbal audio-visual integration task). These findings provide clear evidence that both the superior temporal and parietal areas contribute to multisensory integration processing related to speech perception. Specifically, STS seems fundamental for the temporal synchronization and integration of auditory and visual inputs. For its part, posterior parietal cortex (PPC) may adjust the arrival of incoming audio and visual information to STS thereby enhancing their interaction in this latter area. © 2014Marques, Lapenta, Merabet, Bolognini and Boggio.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique. Because of its low cost, ease of use, safety, and portability, tDCS has been increasingly investigated for therapeutic purposes in neuropsychiatric disorders and in experimental neuropsychological studies with healthy volunteers. These experiments on healthy cognition have shown significant effects on working memory, decision-making, and language. Such promising results have fomented reflections on studying tDCS to enhance or modify normal cognitive function, a concept described by some as "cosmetic" neurology. As the field evolves, discussing whether the use of tDCS in these situations is appropriate is important, including how bioethical principles may help resolve these challenges. In this article, we present some examples of the effects of tDCS on cognition in healthy participants as a starting point for this ethical debate. We envision a futuristic "Brain Boosting" tDCS clinic that specializes in cosmetic neurology and cognitive enhancement. Using the typical cases of a fictitious Dr. Icarus as a discussion starting point, we raise some issues that are both humorous and provocative about the use of tDCS in healthy people. The importance of this work is to ask relatively new questions regarding cosmetic neurology in the field of neuromodulation and discuss the related ethical conflicts.

Motor system neural networks are activated during movement imagery, observation and execution, with a neural signature characterized by suppression of the Mu rhythm. In order to investigate the origin of this neurophysiological marker, we tested whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modifies Mu rhythm oscillations during tasks involving observation and imagery of biological and non-biological movements. We applied tDCS (anodal, cathodal, and sham) in 21 male participants (mean age 23.8 ± 3.06), over the left M1 with a current of 2 mA for 20 min. Following this, we recorded the EEG at C3, C4, and Cz and surrounding C3 and C4 electrodes. Analyses of C3 and C4 showed significant effects for biological vs. non-biological movement (p = 0.005), and differential hemisphere effects according to the type of stimulation (p = 0.04) and type of movement (p = 0.02). Analyses of surrounding electrodes revealed significant interaction effects considering type of stimulation and imagery or observation of biological or non-biological movement (p = 0.03). The main findings of this study were (1) Mu desynchronization during biological movement of the hand region in the contralateral hemisphere after sham tDCS; (2) polarity-dependent modulation effects of tDCS on the Mu rhythm, i.e., anodal tDCS led to Mu synchronization while cathodal tDCS led to Mu desynchronization during movement observation and imagery (3) specific focal and opposite inter-hemispheric effects, i.e., contrary effects for the surrounding electrodes during imagery condition and also for inter-hemispheric electrodes (C3 vs. C4). These findings provide insights into the cortical oscillations during movement observation and imagery. Furthermore, it shows that tDCS can be highly focal when guided by a behavioral task.