Exploring the effects of cerebellar tDCS on mental rotation
4 affiliations
- 1Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- 2Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- 3Aldo Ravelli Research Centre, Department of Health Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- 4ASST-Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, Milan, Italy
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex can enhance mental rotation (MR) performance, whereas little is known about cerebellar tDCS (ctDCS). This study aimed to evaluate effects of ctDCS on a MR task. Fifty-five healthy subjects were randomly assigned to active-ctDCS (1.5 mA; 20 min; n = 28) or sham-ctDCS (n = 27). Participants performed a MR task before (T0) and after (T1) stimulation. In each trial, two shapes appeared on a computer screen, one randomly rotated by 0, 45, 90, or 135 degrees. Subjects pressed the A or L key to indicate whether the shapes were identical or mirrored. A linear mixed model was run on the reaction times (RTs) recorded in each trial. Percent change in RTs (%RT) from T0 to T1 was also computed and analyzed using a second mixed-effects model with planned contrasts. A significant main effect of Time revealed RTs decreased from T0 (M = 3079.35, SE = 102.27) to T1 (M = 2565.36, SE = 102.27). No significant main effects or interactions involving Group were observed in either RT or %RT models. Planned contrasts revealed a single significant difference between groups in the 0° same condition, with the ctDCS group showing a greater reduction in %RT compared to the sham group. No other significant effects were found. ctDCS did not produce a global improvement in MR but showed selective effects under minimal spatial transformation demands. Further studies with different stimulation protocols are needed to clarify its role.
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BibTeX
@article{sandi2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring the effects of cerebellar tDCS on mental rotation}},
author = {Angelica De Sandi and Fabiana Ruggiero and Denise Mellace and Angelica Marfoli and Carlo Manzoni and Natale Vincenzo Maiorana and Alice Tomaselli and Carmelo Campo and Maurizio Vergari and Benedetta Ticozzelli and Laura Mattiolli and Filippo Cogiamanian and Alberto Priori and Roberta Ferrucci},
journal = {Cognitive Processing},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1007/s10339-026-01355-3},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-026-01355-3},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring the effects of cerebellar tDCS on mental rotation
AU - Angelica De Sandi
AU - Fabiana Ruggiero
AU - Denise Mellace
AU - Angelica Marfoli
AU - Carlo Manzoni
AU - Natale Vincenzo Maiorana
AU - Alice Tomaselli
AU - Carmelo Campo
AU - Maurizio Vergari
AU - Benedetta Ticozzelli
AU - Laura Mattiolli
AU - Filippo Cogiamanian
AU - Alberto Priori
AU - Roberta Ferrucci
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/30
JO - Cognitive Processing
DO - 10.1007/s10339-026-01355-3
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-026-01355-3
AB - Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex can enhance mental rotation (MR) performance, whereas little is known about cerebellar tDCS (ctDCS). This study aimed to evaluate effects of ctDCS on a MR task. Fifty-five healthy subjects were randomly assigned to active-ctDCS (1.5 mA; 20 min; n = 28) or sham-ctDCS (n = 27). Participants performed a MR task before (T0) and after (T1) stimulation. In each trial, two shapes appeared on a computer screen, one randomly rotated by 0, 45, 90, or 135 degrees. Subjects pressed the A or L key to indicate whether the shapes were identical or mirrored. A linear mixed model was run on the reaction times (RTs) recorded in each trial. Percent change in RTs (%RT) from T0 to T1 was also computed and analyzed using a second mixed-effects model with planned contrasts. A significant main effect of Time revealed RTs decreased from T0 (M = 3079.35, SE = 102.27) to T1 (M = 2565.36, SE = 102.27). No significant main effects or interactions involving Group were observed in either RT or %RT models. Planned contrasts revealed a single significant difference between groups in the 0° same condition, with the ctDCS group showing a greater reduction in %RT compared to the sham group. No other significant effects were found. ctDCS did not produce a global improvement in MR but showed selective effects under minimal spatial transformation demands. Further studies with different stimulation protocols are needed to clarify its role.
SN - 1612-4782
SN - 1612-4790
ER -