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Modulating Cognition Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Cerebellum
Published on: February 15, 2015
Unilateral prefrontal direct current stimulation effects are modulated by working memory load and gender
1The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. neuron.o.d.m@gmail.com
Brain Stimulation
|June 30, 2012
Summary
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) shows gender-dependent effects on verbal working memory (WM). Males benefit from left DLPFC stimulation, while females benefit from right DLPFC stimulation at high WM loads.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurostimulation
Background:
- Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may enhance verbal working memory (WM).
- Executive attention, crucial for WM capacity, is highly dependent on DLPFC function and involved in maintaining memory representations under interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effects of WM load, unilateral DLPFC stimulation, and gender on verbal WM accuracy.
- Explore gender-dependent brain activation patterns during verbal WM tasks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified verbal n-Back task to assess executive attention demands.
- Examined online WM performance during tDCS and post-stimulation implicit learning.
Main Results:
- Significant lateralized online stimulation effects were observed at the highest WM load.
- Males showed improved performance with left DLPFC stimulation; females benefited from right DLPFC stimulation.
- High WM load performance with left DLPFC stimulation correlated with post-stimulation recall.
Conclusions:
- Lateralized stimulation effects on high verbal WM load appear to be gender-dependent.
- Increased left hemisphere activity may support encoding verbal information into episodic memory and retrieval from semantic memory.
