Transcranial direct current stimulation for pediatric learning disabilities: A narrative review

Learning disabilities in children involve executive dysfunctions, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and emotional regulation, which may contribute to academic failure and psychosocial maladjustment. Despite standard interventions, many children continue to have cognitive‐behavioral deficits, necessitating adjunctive therapeutic approaches. This review evaluates transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a neuromodulatory intervention to enhance cognitive‐behavioral outcomes in pediatric learning disabilities, focusing on its neurobiological mechanisms, effects on executive function, and translational potential. A search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Following screening, 22 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized narratively. tDCS delivers low‐intensity electrical currents that modulate cortical excitability, synaptic plasticity (long‐term potentiation and long‐term depression‐like effects), and the γ‐aminobutyric acid–glutamate balance in prefrontal‐striatal networks, with most targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for executive regulation. Parent‐ and teacher‐reported measures also suggested reductions in internalizing (anxiety, withdrawal) and externalizing (impulsivity, aggression) behaviors, particularly when tDCS was combined with cognitive training. The available evidence suggests that tDCS is generally well tolerated in short‐term research settings; however, definitive conclusions on long‐term safety and clinical feasibility cannot yet be drawn. Methodological heterogeneity, including variable stimulation parameters, small sample sizes, and limited long‐term follow‐up, precludes recommendations for standardized treatment protocols. Rigorous, sham‐controlled trials can be recommended for routine clinical use.