Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on reaction time in Judo and Jiu-jitsu practitioners

• Grant number: 20/14168-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2021
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Diego Orcioli da Silva
• Grantee: Emerson Filintro de Oliveira Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The reaction time (RT), the time elapsed between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of motor response indicates the efficiency of neural processing through speed measurement and the efficiency of decision making. In combat sports, quick and effective decision-making can determine the winner. Therefore, studying ways to improve the RT is fundamental for the athletes' performance in combat. The research question that guides this project is: does transcranial direct current electrical stimulation improve the RT of young and adult judo and jiu-jitsu practitioners? To answer this question, a study was planned aiming to verify the immediate effects of anodic transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at 2mA for 20 minutes over the primary motor cortex (M1) in the simple reaction time (TRS) and the choice reaction time (TRE) of upper limbs of judo and jiu-jitsu athletes. Twenty judo and jiu-jitsu practitioners will be selected. Participants will attend the laboratory in two days, at least one week apart, and will randomly receive active (anodic) and placebo (sham) tDCS. TRS and TRE tests implemented in Matlab language will be applied to measure the RT performance before and after the tDCS session. The data will be statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVAs, with repeated measures for tDCS (active vs sham) and moment (pre and post) factors.