Transcranial oscillatory direct current stimulation during sleep improves declarative memory consolidation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to a level comparable to healthy controls

Alexander Prehn-Kristensen; Manuel Munz; Robert Göder; Ines Wilhelm; Katharina Korr; Wiebke Vahl; Christian D Wiesner; Lioba Baving

doi:10.1016/j.brs.2014.07.036

Transcranial oscillatory direct current stimulation during sleep improves declarative memory consolidation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to a level comparable to healthy controls

Brain Stimul. 2014 Nov-Dec;7(6):793-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2014.07.036. Epub 2014 Jul 23.

Authors

Alexander Prehn-Kristensen¹, Manuel Munz², Robert Göder³, Ines Wilhelm⁴, Katharina Korr², Wiebke Vahl², Christian D Wiesner², Lioba Baving²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Integrative Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: a.prehn@zip-kiel.de.
² Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Integrative Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Integrative Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany; Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Switzerland.

PMID: 25153776
DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2014.07.036

Abstract

Background: Slow oscillations (<1 Hz) during slow wave sleep (SWS) promote the consolidation of declarative memory. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown to display deficits in sleep-dependent consolidation of declarative memory supposedly due to dysfunctional slow brain rhythms during SWS.

Objective: Using transcranial oscillating direct current stimulation (toDCS) at 0.75 Hz, we investigated whether an externally triggered increase in slow oscillations during early SWS elevates memory performance in children with ADHD.

Methods: 12 children with ADHD underwent a toDCS and a sham condition in a double-blind crossover study design conducted in a sleep laboratory. Memory was tested using a 2D object-location task. In addition, 12 healthy children performed the same memory task in their home environment.

Results: Stimulation enhanced slow oscillation power in children with ADHD and boosted memory performance to the same level as in healthy children.

Conclusion: These data indicate that increasing slow oscillation power during sleep by toDCS can alleviate declarative memory deficits in children with ADHD.

Keywords: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Children; Declarative memory; Sleep; Slow oscillations; Transcranial oscillating direct current stimulation.

Publication types

Controlled Clinical Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Attention
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / complications
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / therapy*
Case-Control Studies
Child
Cross-Over Studies
Double-Blind Method
Frontal Lobe / physiology
Humans
Male
Memory Disorders / complications
Memory Disorders / therapy*
Polysomnography
Sleep / physiology*
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*