Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to support cognition and brain function in older adults. However, there is an absence of research specifically designed to determine optimal stimulation protocols, and much of what is known about subtle distinctions in tDCS parameters is based on young adult data. As the first systematic exploration targeting older adults, this study aimed to provide insight into the effects of variations in stimulation duration. Anodal stimulation of 10 and 20 min, as well as a sham-control variant, was administered to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stimulation effects were assessed in relation to a novel attentional control task. Ten minutes of anodal stimulation significantly improved task-switching speed from baseline, contrary to the sham-control and 20 min variants. The findings represent a crucial step forwards for methods development, and the refinement of stimulation to enhance executive function in the ageing population.

中文翻译：

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优化认知能力增强：tDCS持续时间对老年人的影响的系统评估。

经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）已显示支持老年人的认知和脑功能。然而，目前尚无专门用于确定最佳刺激方案的研究，有关tDCS参数细微区别的许多已知信息都是基于年轻的成年人数据。作为针对老年人的第一个系统性探索，这项研究旨在提供对刺激持续时间变化影响的见解。对背外侧前额叶皮层进行10分钟和20分钟的阳极刺激以及假手术对照变体。评估了与新型注意力控制任务有关的刺激效果。十分钟的阳极刺激可以显着提高从基线开始的任务切换速度，这与假对照和20分钟的变化相反。