Citation

Brunyé TT, Hussey EK, Fontes EB, Ward N. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2019; 13: 140.

Affiliation

NEUROEX-Research Group in Physical Activity, Cognition and Behavior, Health Science Center, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fnhum.2019.00140

PMID

31114491

PMCID

PMC6503100

Abstract

Basic and applied research are increasingly adopting transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) for modulating perceptual, cognitive, affective, and motor processes. Industry and defense applications of tES hold potential for accelerating training and knowledge acquisition and sustaining work-related performance in the face of fatigue, workload, and stress. This mini-review article describes the promises and perils of tES, and reviews research testing its influence on two broad applied areas: sustaining and dividing attention, and operating in virtual environments. Also included is a discussion of challenges related to viable mechanistic explanations for tES effectiveness, attempts at replication and consideration of null results, and the potential importance of individual differences in predicting tES influences on human performance. Finally, future research directions are proposed to address these challenges and help develop a fuller understanding of tES viability for enhancing real-world performance.

Language: en

Keywords

driving; multitasking; navigation; neuroergonomics; transcranial electrical stimulation; vigilance; virtual environments