Influence of a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation on brainstem auditory evoked potentials of women

Abstract

Objective: To verify the immediate effect of the cortical application of an online and offline transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) session on the functionality of the VIII cranial nerve and brainstem, through Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEP) on women. Method: Prospective, cross-sectional and quantitative study in which 18 women participated, divided into two groups: G1, composed of eight participants submitted only to tDCS (offline mode), and G2, composed of ten participants, submitted to tDCS associated with an auditory activity of temporal ordering for stimuli of different frequencies (online application). Results: When comparing the pre and post-intervention results between the groups, statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found in the following variables: latency and amplitude of wave I post-intervention, amplitude of wave III (pre and post) and latency of wave V pre-intervention. G1 presented lower latencies and higher amplitudes after the intervention. The intra-group comparison did not indicate significant differences (p>0.05). Conclusion: A single offline tDCS session produced greater effects on conduction velocity and neural recruitment in the structures evaluated by BAEP on women. The results are preliminary, but it is worth highlighting that the technique is promising to produce effects on the auditory pathways.