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Related Experiment Videos

Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation slows reaction time in a working memory task.

Lisa Marshall1, Matthias Mölle, Hartwig R Siebner

  • 1University of Lübeck, Department of Neuroendocrinology H23a, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. marshall@kfg.uni-luebeck.de

BMC Neuroscience
|April 12, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Intermittent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the prefrontal cortex impaired working memory performance. This neurostimulation hampered neuronal processing, specifically response selection and preparation, during cognitive tasks.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability by altering neuronal membrane potentials.
  • Working memory involves transient information storage and manipulation, crucial for cognitive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of intermittent tDCS on working memory.
  • To determine if tDCS can modify ongoing neural activity associated with working memory.

Main Methods:

  • Anodal and cathodal tDCS (260 microA) were applied bilaterally to fronto-cortical sites for 15 minutes (15s on/15s off).
  • Subjects performed a modified Sternberg task under real tDCS and sham conditions.
  • Reaction times and accuracy were measured to assess working memory performance.

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Main Results:

  • Reaction time increased with memory set size, comparable between real and sham stimulation.
  • Real tDCS (both anodal and cathodal) significantly slowed reaction times compared to sham stimulation (p < 0.05).
  • This indicates tDCS hampered neuronal processing related to response selection and preparation.

Conclusions:

  • Intermittent tDCS over the lateral prefrontal cortex impairs cognitive processing during working memory tasks.
  • The observed performance decrease is attributed to interference with the temporal dynamics of cortical processing.
  • Event-related EEG activity, particularly theta oscillations, may reflect this interference.