Evaluating brain stimulation, reducing cognitive effects of stressors

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, UNITED STATES

07.31.2018

Story by Megan Mudersbach 

Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton

By: Dr. Joyce G. Rohan

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a type of non-invasive brain stimulation with a promising potential as a therapeutic method as it can partially relieve neurological symptoms associated with various disorders ranging from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to Alzheimer’s disease. There are investigations into the potential use of tDCS in enhancing performance of healthy subjects. Although tDCS has shown to lessen neurological impairments and enhance cognitive performance, exactly how it works remains unclear.

For the past several years, the Environmental Health Effects Laboratory at Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-Dayton) has had an ongoing collaboration with U.S. Air Force 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate, Battlespace Visualization Branch (711 HPW/RHCPA) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Funded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the joint team is studying how tDCS causes its effects, on a cellular level, using a laboratory animal model.

An obvious militarily-relevant benefit of this non-invasive brain stimulation is its potential use as a countermeasure to reduce cognitive deficits resulting from harsh environmental conditions or potential chemical hazard exposures that military personnel may face during training or deployment. Such an application of tDCS has not yet been addressed. NAMRU-Dayton, in collaboration with 711 HPW/RHCPA, has the opportunity to explore this possibility.

Recently, NAMRU-Dayton obtained funding from the Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP) to evaluate the potential use of tDCS to counteract and/or reduce negative neurological effects of extreme temperature exposures. Another main goal of this multi-year study is to characterize sex-dependent differences in the ability of tDCS to alter neurological function, as well as any sex-dependent differences with exposure to extreme temperature.

Additionally, NAMRU-Dayton obtained additional funding from the Defense Health Agency to evaluate the potential use of tDCS to reduce negative neurological effects resulting from exposure to various chemicals.

NAMRU-Dayton plans to continue our efforts in understanding how tDCS works with the central nervous system. Understanding how tDCS works on the brain is essential to develop a safe guideline for tDCS application. Establishing a safe implementation strategy for tDCS that can reduce, treat or prevent adverse neurological effects of environmental stressors and/or chemical exposures is an important undertaking that can help ensure the health and safety of our military personnel as they carryout missions.

For more information visit us at www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmrc/Dayton and follow us on Facebook @NavalMedicalResearchUnitDayton and Twitter @NAMRUDayton.

• Date Taken: 07.31.2018
• Date Posted: 07.31.2018 20:31
• Story ID: 286662
• Location: WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US