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Related Experiment Video

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Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Speech facilitation by left inferior frontal cortex stimulation.

Rachel Holland¹, Alex P Leff, Oliver Josephs

¹Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. rachel.holland@ucl.ac.uk

Current Biology : CB

|August 9, 2011

Summary

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enhances brain function and behavior. This study combined tDCS with fMRI, revealing tDCS

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Utilizing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Language Function in Stroke Patients with Chronic Non-fluent Aphasia

Utilizing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Language Function in Stroke Patients with Chronic Non-fluent Aphasia

Published on: July 2, 2013

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuromodulation

Background:

Noninvasive neurostimulation, like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), can alter neocortical excitability.
The precise mechanisms by which tDCS influences human behavior remain unclear.
Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies mapped tDCS effects but lacked concurrent behavioral data.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural and behavioral effects of left frontal anodal tDCS during picture naming.
To explore the relationship between behavioral changes and brain activity using fMRI.
To assess the potential of tDCS for neurorehabilitation, particularly for anomic patients.

Main Methods:

A novel combination of left frontal anodal tDCS and overt picture-naming fMRI was employed.
Neural responses were measured using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals.
Behavioral responses, specifically naming times, were recorded during stimulation.

Main Results:

tDCS demonstrated significant facilitation in both behavior and regionally specific neural activity.
Faster picture-naming responses correlated with reduced BOLD signal in Broca's area.
The findings highlight Broca's area's role in the language network.

Conclusions:

tDCS can modulate neural activity and improve behavioral performance in tasks like picture naming.
Broca's area is crucial for the naming network and a potential target for tDCS-based neurorehabilitation.
This study provides evidence for tDCS as a viable tool for treating conditions like anomia.