On the Use of the Terms Anodal and Cathodal in High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: A Technical Note.
Emily O GarnettSvetlana MalyutinaAbhishek DattaDirk-Bart den OudenPublished in: Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society (2015)
More research is warranted on the hypothesized inhibitory or excitatory effects of different electrode configurations. Moreover, conventional bicephalic 1 × 1 configurations using sponges or HD electrodes may not be accurately described by the terms "anodal" and "cathodal" either, as these terms only pertain to the desired effects over an area of interest, but not any other areas affected. Therefore, design and interpretation of (HD-)tDCS and conventional tDCS research studies should not be constrained by the anodal/cathodal dichotomy.