Brain Stimulation Techniques and Sports Performance

The use of electrical current to modulate brain activity has a long history. The vagus nerve stimulation technique requires an invasive implantation of an electrical device in the cervical branch of the vagus nerve, and it is mainly used in the treatment of epilepsy. Trancranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) alters the electrical current, which is induced by means of a magnetic field and ultimately reaches cortical neurons. TMS protocols are widely exploited in the research field but are less frequently used to modulate sport performance with online stimulation. The results revealed an increased functional connectivity in motor areas when anodal stimulation was applied during finger movements, with respect to both finger movement alone and transcranial direct current stimulation alone. Importantly, the right ear stimulation is avoided because it contains the efferent vagus fibers to the heart.