The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Cognitive Functions in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study.

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether the use of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could boost the effects of a cognitive stimulation (CS) programme using a tablet on five older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Method: A single-subject study of A-B-C-A design was used. After the baseline with the administration of CS (phase A), a sham treatment with CS was applied (B). Following the withdrawal of sham treatment, tDCS was introduced in combination with CS (C). Finally, phase A was replicated a second time.

Results: tDCS had a significant effect on processing speed, selective attention, and planning ability tasks in terms of performance and completion time.

Conclusion: tDCS appears to have a positive impact on some cognitive components in CS in persons with MCI. Further study on its long-term effects and generalization of power to daily activities is warranted.