Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation does not alter GABA concentration or functional connectivity in the normal visual cortex.

INTRODUCTION: Anodal direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) of the visual cortex is a potential rehabilitation tool for vision disorders such as amblyopia and macular degeneration. However, the underlying neural mechanisms are currently unknown. When applied to the human motor cortex, a-tDCS reduces the concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that modulates neuroplasticity. Our primary aim was to assess whether the same a-tDCS paradigm alters local GABA concentration when applied to the healthy primary visual cortex. We also measured the effect of a-tDCS on visual cortex resting-state connectivity and sought to replicate reported observations of an association between visual cortex GABA concentration and the dynamics of binocular rivalry.

METHODS: Fourteen participants with normal vision completed two brain imaging sessions at least 48 hours apart. In each session, binocular rivalry dynamics, primary visual cortex GABA and glutamate-glutamine (Glx) concentrations (via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)) and resting-state functional connectivity (via task-free fMRI) were measured at baseline. Real or sham a-tDCS (20 min, 2mA) was then applied to the visual cortex in a randomized sequence followed by a second set of MRS and fMRI measurements.

RESULTS: No between-session effects of a-tDCS on GABA or Glx concentration or resting-state functional connectivity were observed. A pre-planned within-session analysis revealed a significant increase in Glx following a-tDCS that did not withstand multiple comparisons correction. No consistent relationships between binocular rivalry dynamics and GABA concentration were apparent.

DISCUSSION: Together, our results suggest that a-tDCS effects on the visual cortex may differ from the GABA-associated mechanism in motor cortex.