The effect of transcranial electrostimulation on the frontal crust of students during a psychoemotional stress

Relevance: transcranial electrical stimulation has an anti-stress effect in humans. One of the possible mechanisms is due to changes in the functional state of the frontal region of the cerebral cortex.The aim: to evaluate the dynamics of tractography of the frontal region of the human cerebral cortex during psychoemotional stress before and after transcranial electrical stimulation. Materials and methods: Observations were performed on 26 conditionally healthy young men. Students assessed the level of stress resistance by N.N. Kirsheva, N.V. Ryabchikova and heart rate variability in the test period. Brain MRI was performed on a high-field tomograph (magnetic field strength 3 T) from General Electric (USA), followed by software processing and tractography. 16 subjects (main group) underwent transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) therapy. TES therapy was performed using the TRANSAIR-02 apparatus with monopolar impulses. Sessions were held in the evening from 18 to 22 hours every other day. The course consisted of 5 sessions of 30 minutes, the current strength was from 2.0 to 3.0 mA After a course of TES therapy, MRI of the brain and tractography were repeated. In the comparison group (10 people), TES therapy was not performed, but MRI and tractography were similarly repeated. The tractograms compared the area of the tracts in the frontal region of the cerebral cortex in both groups, as well as before and after TES therapy. For statistical analysis of the results of the study used the program: “STATISTICA 10”. Results: On the tractograms of the frontal cortex of the brain, in students experiencing stress due to the training load in the crediting period, the tract area on the tractogram was 7.9 ± 0.4 cm2. After 5 sessions of transcranial electrical stimulation, the level of stress resistance increased. On the tractograms of the frontal cortex, the area of the tracts increased and amounted to 13.4 ± 0.5 cm2.The conclusion: After transcranial electrical stimulation, when psychoemotional stress is removed, students restore paths in the frontal region of the cerebral cortex