Thesis, COLLÉGIALITÉ

Abstract

This feasibility and neurophysiological study aims to compare the effects of four types of stimulation - tDCS combined with music, tDCS combined with white noise, music alone (sham tDCS), white noise alone (sham tDCS) – on cognitive and neurophysiological outcomes in healthy participants, with the hypothesis that tDCS and music combined might improve cognitive functions (tested with the Stroop test and the 3-back test) compared to the other conditions, and thus, could be tested as a therapeutic option for patients with altered states of consciousness in the future. This study shows that in healthy subjects, a single session of tDCS combined with music does not increase cognitive functions, as hypothesized. Nonetheless, using music alone instead seems to be promising for increasing brain activity related to cognitive performances by means of an increase in frequencies associated with cognition. Even if the results might be promising, they come from a relatively small sample of 23 subjects and might not be sufficient to represent the general population.