Internationale Zeitschrift für Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation
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Immediate Memory and Electro Physiologic Effects of Prefrontal Cortex Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on a Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor: A Case Report

Therese M O’Neil-Pirozzi, Deniz Doruk, Jennifer M Thomson and Felipe Fregni

Ongoing memory impairment is a common long-term consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that negatively impacts everyday function. Traditional rehabilitation to improve memory function focuses on use of external and/or internal behavioral memory strategies, the benefits of which are supported by varying levels of evidence. This case report examined immediate behavioral and electrophysiological effects of three conditions of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on auditory working memory in a chronic TBI survivor with persisting post-injury memory problems. Pre- and post-tDCS behavioral memory performance was measured, as were auditory event-related potentials (P300 activity) and power of alpha and theta EEG bands. Behavioral and electrophysiological results were specific to tDCS condition, with anodal tDCS, versus cathodal and sham, significantly enhancing memory function and related cortical activity. Rehabilitation implications of these findings are discussed.