Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over the Temporoparietal Junction Modulates Posture Control in Unfamiliar Environments

Abstract

The temporoparietal junction (TPJ), which integrates visual, somatosensory, and vestibular information to form body schema, is involved in human postural control. We evaluated whether or not the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the TPJ can modulate postural control on an unstable surface with eyes closed, during which the updating of body schema is needed to maintain balance. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The order of the three types of tDCS (anodal, cathodal, and sham) over the right TPJ was counterbalanced across the participants. We evaluated dynamic posture control while the participants were standing on a stable surface with eyes open and an unstable surface with eyes closed. Anodal tDCS enhanced postural control on an unstable surface with eyes closed during and after stimulation, but cathodal tDCS deteriorated postural control during stimulation. Neither anodal nor cathodal tDCS altered postural control while the participants were on a stable surface with eyes open. Anodal tDCS may enhance postural control with non-vision and altered tactile perception by activating the TPJ, which integrates multisensory inputs to update the body schema, whereas cathodal tDCS has the opposite effect. tDCS over the TPJ may facilitate the updating of body schemas to accommodate changes in sensory inputs and help develop novel approaches to prevent falls.