Musculoskeletal Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
Neuroscience. 2023 Apr 15;516:125-140. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.01.026. Epub 2023 Jan 30.
Walking is an important function which requires coordinated activity of sensory-motor neural networks. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is a safe neuromodulatory technique with motor function-improving effects. This study aimed to determine the effect of different types of NIBS interventions explored in randomized controlled trials on gait in healthy young and older adults.
Based on the PRISMA approach, we conducted an electronic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PEDro for randomized clinical trials assessing the effect of NIBS on gait in healthy young and older adults and performed a narrative review.
Fourteen studies were included in this systematic review. According to the outcomes, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the motor cortex and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the cerebellum seem to be promising for improving gait characteristics such as speed, synchronization, and variability. Furthermore, tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) improved gait speed and reduced gait parameter variability under dual-task conditions. Only one repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was available, which showed no effects. No studies were available for transcranial random noise stimulation, and transcranial pulsed current stimulation. Moreover, the intervention parameters of the included studies were heterogeneous, and studies comparing directly specific intervention protocols were missing.
NIBS is a promising approach to improve gait in healthy young and older adults. Anodal tDCS over the motor areas and DLPFC, and tACS over the cerebellum have shown positive effects on gait.
行走是一项重要的功能，需要感觉运动神经网络的协调活动。非侵入性脑刺激（NIBS）是一种安全的神经调节技术，具有改善运动功能的作用。本研究旨在确定随机对照试验中探索的不同类型的 NIBS 干预措施对健康年轻和老年成年人步态的影响。
根据 PRISMA 方法，我们在 PubMed、Web of Science、Scopus 和 PEDro 中进行了电子搜索，以评估 NIBS 对健康年轻和老年成年人步态影响的随机临床试验，并进行了叙述性综述。
本系统评价纳入了 14 项研究。根据结果，经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）刺激运动皮层和经颅交流电刺激（tACS）刺激小脑似乎是改善速度、同步性和变异性等步态特征的有前途的方法。此外，背外侧前额叶皮层（DLPFC）的 tDCS 刺激在双重任务条件下提高了行走速度并降低了行走参数的变异性。只有一项重复经颅磁刺激研究可用，该研究显示没有效果。没有关于经颅随机噪声刺激和经颅脉冲电流刺激的研究。此外，纳入研究的干预参数存在异质性，并且缺少直接比较特定干预方案的研究。
NIBS 是改善健康年轻和老年成年人步态的一种很有前途的方法。运动区和 DLPFC 的阳极 tDCS 以及小脑的 tACS 对步态有积极影响。
