Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of the City University of New York New York, NY, USA.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Oct 21;7:688. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00688. eCollection 2013.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is investigated for a broad range of neuropsychiatric indications, various rehabilitation applications, and to modulate cognitive performance in diverse tasks. Specificity of tDCS refers broadly to the ability of tDCS to produce precise, as opposed to diffuse, changes in brain function. Practically, specificity of tDCS implies application-specific customization of protocols to maximize desired outcomes and minimize undesired effects. Especially given the simplicity of tDCS and the complexity of brain function, understanding the mechanisms leading to specificity is fundamental to the rational advancement of tDCS. We define the origins of specificity based on anatomical and functional factors. Anatomical specificity derives from guiding current to targeted brain structures. Functional specificity may derive from either activity-selectivity, where active neuronal networks are preferentially modulated by tDCS, or input-selectivity, where bias is applied to different synaptic inputs. Rational advancement of tDCS may require leveraging all forms of specificity.
经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）被广泛应用于神经精神疾病的治疗、各种康复应用，以及调节不同任务中的认知表现。tDCS 的特异性广泛地指的是 tDCS 产生精确而非弥散的脑功能变化的能力。实际上，tDCS 的特异性意味着针对特定应用定制方案，以最大化预期效果并最小化不良影响。特别是考虑到 tDCS 的简单性和大脑功能的复杂性，理解导致特异性的机制是 tDCS 合理发展的基础。我们基于解剖学和功能因素来定义特异性的起源。解剖学特异性源于将电流引导至靶向脑结构。功能特异性可能源于活动选择性，其中 tDCS 优先调节活跃的神经网络，或者源于输入选择性，其中偏向施加于不同的突触输入。tDCS 的合理发展可能需要利用所有形式的特异性。
