Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Cognition in the Elderly

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has been used to improve cognitive functions such as memory, language, and attention. This chapter discusses how tDCS can enhance cognitive performance in healthy older subjects and patients with neurological disorders typically manifesting in the elderly, such as Alzheimer's disease, fronto-temporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease. Although the clinical efficacy of tDCS awaits confirmation in large, clinical, randomized controlled studies, results for managing cognitive dysfunctions related to neurological disorders in the elderly seem promising. Future studies should endeavor to assess whether experimental data translate into benefits in real life, to lengthen cognitive benefits, to investigate how changing stimulation variables influences tDCS-induced effects, to determine possible interactions with other treatments, and to improve patients' selection.