Transcranial random noise stimulation and heart rate variability

Abstract

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a transcranial electric stimulation (tES) method, in which an electrical current alternates randomly between two stimulation electrodes in direction and amplitude, within a given range [1]. High frequency alteration of the current has been shown to induce increase or decrease in sustained levels of cortical excitability in the motor cortex, depending on the intensity of the current [2]. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), another tES method, has been associated with alterations in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity as measured through heart rate variability (HRV) in different settings [3, 4].