The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Decision Making and Cognitive Flexibility in Gambling Disorder

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe method for non-invasively modulating cortical excitability through the use of weak electrical currents (usually of 1-2 mA) circulating between two scalp electrodes (i.e., an anode and a cathode) placed over the target cortical regions. The effects of tDCS on brain activity are polarity-dependent, such that anodal stimulation generally enhances cortical excitability by depolarizing cell membranes and increasing neuronal firing rates, while cathodal stimulation generally results in the opposite effect. Because of its neural effects, tDCS has been increasingly used to gauge the functional relationship between cognitive/behavioural dimensions and putatively relevant neurocircuitry