Effects of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation on Soldiers' Cognitive and Functional Performance
Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation has been shown to alter performance in both clinical and healthy populations on cognitive tasks. While performance alterations have generally been shown to result in enhancement, mixed results remain in the literature. Much of the mixed results within the literature have been attributed to the use of different stimulation parameters, targeting of different brain areas, and using a variety of performance measures or assessing different constructs. However, non-invasive brain stimulation is a desirable method for enhancing Soldier performance given the ease of administration and minimal side effects as compared to other forms of performance enhancement (e.g., pharmaceuticals, caffeine). The objective of the current study is to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in enhancing Soldier cognitive skills and performance on military tasks. A double-blind within-subjects design was used with healthy, rested Soldiers who received non-invasive brain stimulation and performed basic cognitive and operationally relevant tasks. Results of the study found that application of tDCS improved marksmanship performance. Additionally, no significant side effects were found, suggesting tDCS may be a safe method of performance enhancement in Soldiers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 09, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1147629
Entities
People
- Amanda Kelley
- Jared Basso
- Jim Chiaramonte
- Kathryn A. Feltman
- Melody King
Organizations
- United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab