ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
This article is part of the Research TopicNeuromodulation Techniques, Mechanisms, and Potential Benefits for Physical Activity Participation and Human PerformanceView all 14 articles
Effect of tDCS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on psychophysiological responses and brain oxygenation during exercise in healthy adults: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial
Provisionally accepted
Daniel Gomes Da Silva Machado1*
Mercia Jaynne Leandro Melo2Matheus Alves Mendonça2Daniel de Medeiros Leiros2Everton Borges da Silva2
Rodrigo Menezes Forti3
Rickson Mesquita4
Heloiana K C Faro2
Edmund O. Acevedo5- 1Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- 2Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- 3The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States
- 4University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 5Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, United States
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Abstract Background: Physical inactivity is a major public health challenge, and strategies to improve exercise adherence are crucial. Affective responses play a key role in exercise behavior, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive technique that applies low-intensity current to the scalp, may modulate these responses. However, evidence supporting its effectiveness remains equivocal. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tDCS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on psychophysiological responses and brain oxygenation in healthy adults. Methods: Participants first completed a maximal incremental exercise test to assess exercise performance and aerobic fitness. In two subsequent sessions, participants received either active tDCS over the DLPFC or sham stimulation for 20 minutes, followed by a 20-minute vigorous-intensity exercise session. Heart rate (HR) and brain oxygenation (measured via functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS) were continuously monitored during exercise. Affective valence, arousal, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were self-reported every 5 minutes. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations and Generalized Mixed Models, with significance set at p<0.05. Results: Brain oxygenation increased after exercise compared to baseline and post-tDCS (p < 0.05), in agreement with the expected increase in arterial blood pressure and tissue perfusion. However, tDCS did not significantly alter brain oxygenation at rest (p>0.3) or during exercise (p>0.09). No significant effect of tDCS was observed for the affective responses (p>0.08), arousal (p>0.85), or RPE (leg: p>0.90; whole-body: p>0.28). Conclusions: DLPFC-targeted tDCS does not modulate brain oxygenation or enhance psychophysiological responses during vigorous-intensity exercise in healthy individuals. Future studies should explore exercise preference and tolerance, and the effects of tDCS on clinical populations.
Keywords: transcranial direct current stimulation, Exercise regulation, Exercise Tolerance, affective responses, perceived exertion, fNIRS
Received: 11 Sep 2025; Accepted: 30 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Machado, Melo, Mendonça, Leiros, Borges da Silva, Menezes Forti, Mesquita, Faro and Acevedo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Daniel Gomes Da Silva Machado, profdmachado@gmail.com
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