Brain Boosting: Recent Advances in Neurostimulation on Cognitive Functions and Behavioral Performance

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2025 | Viewed by 1299

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University Niccolo Cusano, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: hypnosis; neurostimulation; EEG; imagery; decision-making

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, cutting-edge applications of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) have been documented in fields such as hypnosis, sport, and learning. Indeed, while extensive literature has described applications of NIBS for mental and neurological disorders, there are fields for which effective NIBS interventions have only recently been described. Among these is the enhancement of hypnotic responsiveness and the improvement of reading performance in individuals with learning disorders.

This Special Issue of Brain Sciences aims to present a collection of studies illustrating the most recent advances in NIBS in original fields of cognitive science. Authors are invited to submit cutting-edge research and reviews that address a broad range of emerging topics in both clinical and health research, including NIBS and food, learning, hypnosis, sport, other than technological advancements (multifocal and high-definition approaches), experimental designs (online vs. offline stimulation, single vs. multiple sessions), and neurophysiological substrates of NIBS applications. Studies comparing NIBS and other interventions are also welcome.

Dr. Rinaldo L. Perri
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • TMS
  • cognitive functions
  • behavioral interventions
  • brain plasticity
  • addictions
  • hypnosis
  • neurostimulation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3309 KiB  
Article
Neurostimulation and Sense of Agency: Three tDCS Experiments on the Modulation of Intentional Binding
by Marika Bonuomo, Davide Perrotta, Gloria Di Filippo and Rinaldo Livio Perri
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(2), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15020176 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Objectives: This research investigated the impact of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on sense of agency (SoA) when focusing on cortical regions like the cerebellum, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the angular gyrus (AG). To this aim, three experiments were carried out, [...] Read more.
Objectives: This research investigated the impact of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on sense of agency (SoA) when focusing on cortical regions like the cerebellum, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the angular gyrus (AG). To this aim, three experiments were carried out, and agency was assessed through the Wundt Clock Paradigm, which provides a measure of intentional binding. Methods: The first experiment provided offline cathodal stimulation applied to the right cerebellum, with the return electrode placed on the left DLPFC, and participants were randomly assigned to either the placebo group or the active group. The second experiment adopted the same montage as the previous one, but the online stimulation was provided in a within-subjects design. Results: Since none of these studies targeting the cerebellum produced significant results on the agency measures, we carried out a third experiment aimed to replicate a previous study that provided inhibitory stimulation of the left AG. However, this also showed no modulations of SoA. Conclusions: Several explanations could be given for these negative results. For example, the inter-individual variability, task complexity, and limitations of tDCS technology may contribute to the inconsistencies of the results. Also, the failure to replicate a previous study raises the issue of the replicability crisis in psychology. Nevertheless, this study may represent an important reference for research aimed at modulating SoA through the neuromodulation of brain areas included in the agency network. Future studies could benefit from assessing individual cognitive abilities supporting agency, optimizing stimulation protocols, and exploring alternative brain stimulation techniques to obtain significant results. Full article
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