Novel cognitive ageing rehabilitation with transcranial direct current stimulation

Abstract

Impairment of cognitive function and mobility are commonly found in ageing. The transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), has increasingly purposive treatments for cognitive rehabilitation. It is inexpensive, easy to administer after well trained, portable, and home used design considered as the most cost-effective and good compliance therapy. The local effect of calcium-dependent synaptic plasticity of glutamatergic neurons, locally reduce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission, remote effect of the interference with functional connectivity, synchronization, and oscillatory activities in various cortical and subcortical networks, involve in transmembrane ion conductance, membrane structure, cytoskeleton, or axonal transport, degradation of the beta-amyloid and other pathological proteins. In addition, tDCS can enhance axonal regeneration and neurite outgrowth and therefore hypothetically improve functional neuron recovery, produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that increases synaptogenesis and neurogenesis in the long term, increases glucose metabolism and also be useful to limit the vicious circle of auto-destructive events due to the increased Ca2+ influx resulting from excessive membrane depolarization or intra-axonal Na+ overload in the context of ischemia or energetic resource failure. The review of several studies of tDCS for cognitive rehabilitation in normal elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are included. More evidences are upcoming in cognitive rehabilitation with tDCS. In conclusion, tDCS is cost-effective and safety for cognitive ageing rehabilitation.