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Updated: May 30, 2026
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Memory Enhancement
Published on: September 18, 2021
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates declarative
Amir Homayoun Javadi1, Vincent Walsh2
1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICN), University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Neuroimaging Center, Section of Systems Neuroscience, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Brain Stimulation
|August 16, 2011
Summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex differentially impacts verbal memory. Anodal tDCS enhanced memory during encoding, while cathodal tDCS impaired later recognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuromodulation
Background:
- Previous research suggests transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) influences motor cortex and working memory.
- However, the effects of tDCS on declarative memory remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if anodal and cathodal tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) differentially affect word memorization performance.
- To assess these effects during both memory encoding and recognition phases.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments involving 32 participants performing word memorization tasks.
- Stimulation conditions included sham, anodal, and cathodal tDCS over the left DLPFC.
- Anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex (M1) was also tested in the first experiment.
Main Results:
- Anodal tDCS of the left DLPFC improved memory during encoding.
- Cathodal tDCS of the left DLPFC impaired memory during recognition.
- Anodal tDCS of M1 showed no effect on recognition, indicating site specificity.
Conclusions:
- Left DLPFC stimulation modulates verbal memorization, with effects dependent on stimulation polarity.
- The observed memory enhancements or impairments are specific to the targeted brain region.
