The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Inhibitory Control and interference Control in Athletes and Non-athletes

Abstract

According to the literature, the importance of executive functions in everyday life, in the acquisition of motor skills, and in distinguishing cognitive performance of athletes and non-athletes is indisputable. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on inhibitory and interference control in athletes and non-athletes. Methods: Athletes and non-athletes were conveniently selected (N=48, age range: 18-30 years). Then, each group (athletes/non-athletes) was randomly divided into two groups: real and Sham stimulation. Real stimulation group was involved in sessions of stimulation with an intensity of 2 mA electric current applied for 20 minutes in three sessions. But Sham group was received stimulation only at the first 30 second in each session. The inhibition score in “Go/No Go” task and average response time in the Stroop's task were evaluated before and after three sessions of stimulation for real and Sham groups. Results: The results on inhibitory control variable showed that the difference between the two groups (real and Sham groups) was significant in the post-test (p ≤ .05). The results on interference control variable showed that real stimulation compared to other group had a better performance. Conclusion: The present findings showed that tDCS improves performance in inhibitory and interference control tasks in athletes compared with non-athletes.