Combining tDCS and Neurorehabilitation to Treat Age-related Deficits of Mobility and Cognition: UPfront Walking Study

Neurorehabilitation is a behavioral therapeutic approach for enhancing the neural control of task performance by: Restoration of function, specificity of training, Sensory input to the nervous system, Intensity, Repetition and Progression of training. Neurorehabilitation of standard walking will focus on the use of typical steady state walking.

Neurorehabilitation is a behavioral therapeutic approach for enhancing the neural control of task performance by: Restoration of function, specificity of training, Sensory input to the nervous system, Intensity, Repetition and Progression of training. Neurorehabilitation of complex walking will focus on the use of walking tasks that require increased attention and executive functions. The following walking tasks will be used: over obstacles, navigating around obstacles, changing speeds, on soft surfaces (exercise mat), in dim lighting, while conversing with the therapist, up/down ramps and climbing/descending stairs.

"tDCS will be used to induce positive neuromodulation of frontal/executive circuits to make them more amenable to the activity-dependent neuroplasticity that is known to occur with behavioral neurorehabilitation. Specifically, tDCS may facilitate the efficacy of our walking neurorehabilitation intervention by strengthening the synaptic connections within the recruited circuits."

"tDCS will be used to induce positive neuromodulation of frontal/executive circuits to make them more amenable to the activity-dependent neuroplasticity that is known to occur with behavioral neurorehabilitation. Specifically, tDCS may facilitate the efficacy of our walking neurorehabilitation intervention by strengthening the synaptic connections within the recruited circuits."