Acute high-frequency rTMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and attentional control in healthy young men

Previous studies have shown that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex induces neuromodulation in prefrontal and striatal regions. We hypothesized that high-frequency rTMS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex would influence attentional control, which has been associated with neural activity in the same region. Seventeen healthy young men volunteered to participate in a sham-controlled rTMS study. Participants received both rTMS and sham stimulation on separate days and the Conners' continuous performance test was used to assess response inhibition and attentional vigilance. Results indicated that participants showed fewer commission errors during trials after rTMS as compared with sham stimulation, at longer interstimulus intervals (ISIs), which suggests that high-frequency rTMS may have the potential to improve response inhibition. This finding contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and attentional control and suggests possible therapeutic applications for high-frequency rTMS.