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The neuromodulatory effect of tDCS in patients affected by functional motor symptoms: an exploratory study

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Abstract

Background

Recent studies have shown how emotional and cognitive factors might combine together to determine the onset and maintenance of functional motor symptoms (FMS). Nevertheless, no studies have assessed whether brain circuits involved in regulation and processing of emotions and attention might be influenced by neuromodulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single anodic tDCS session over the right posterior parietal cortex in subjects with FMS and in healthy individuals.

Materials and methods

Nine patients and seven healthy subjects underwent two sessions of tDCS (real and sham), in a randomized order. At the end of each session, all participants underwent the heart beat detection task (interoceptive sensitivity) and the Posner paradigm (spatial attention).

Results

After sham stimulation, patients with FMS showed significantly lower interoceptive sensitivity and greater cueing effect for reaction times at the Posner paradigm than healthy controls. There was a significant improvement between the levels of interoceptive sensitivity after real and sham stimulation in the whole group of participants and in the group of patients with FMS.

Conclusions

Our study provides first indications for a neuromodulatory effect of a single anodic tDCS session over the right posterior parietal cortex on interoceptive sensitivity in subjects with FMS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Universita’ degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Benedetta Demartini, Roberto Volpe, Diana Goeta, Armando D’Agostino & Orsola Gambini

  2. Unità di Psichiatria, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Via A. Di Rudinì 8, Milan, Italy

    Benedetta Demartini, Roberto Volpe, Diana Goeta, Armando D’Agostino & Orsola Gambini

  3. “Aldo Ravelli” Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Benedetta Demartini & Orsola Gambini

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Giulia Mattavelli

  5. NeuroMi - Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy

    Giulia Mattavelli

Authors
  1. Benedetta Demartini
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  2. Roberto Volpe
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  3. Giulia Mattavelli
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  4. Diana Goeta
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  5. Armando D’Agostino
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Authors’ role

1. Drafting/revising the manuscript for content, including medical writing for content

2. Study concept or design

3. Analysis or interpretation of data

4. Acquisition of data

5. Statistical analysis

6. Study supervision or coordination

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Correspondence to Benedetta Demartini.

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Demartini, B., Volpe, R., Mattavelli, G. et al. The neuromodulatory effect of tDCS in patients affected by functional motor symptoms: an exploratory study. Neurol Sci 40, 1821–1827 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03912-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03912-5

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