Noninvasive Brain Stimulation over the M1 Enhances Bimanual Force Control Ability: A Randomized Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Study

Abstract

Well-coordinated bimanual force control is common in daily life. We investigated the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex on bimanual force control. Under a cross-over study, young adults (n = 19; female = 6, male = 13) completed three bimanual force control tasks at 5%, 25%, and 50% of bimanual maximum voluntary force (BMVF) before and after real or sham tDCS. Real tDCS enhanced accuracy at all BMVF, reduced variability at 5% BMVF, and increased coordination at 5% BMVF. Real tDCS improved force control at 5% and 25% BMVF, and especially increased bimanual coordination at 5% BMVF. These findings might have implications for establishing interventions for patients with hand force control deficits.

Keywords:

• Bimanual force coordination
• force matching
• primary motor cortex
• transcranial direct current stimulation

Acknowledgements

We thank the Y-brain company for providing the tDCS apparatus used in this study.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Korea University under Grant K1711231.