Transcranial direct current stimulation enhances cognitive control during emotion regulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Cognitive control of emotions is vital for mental health.
• The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is implicated in cognitive reappraisal.
• Evidence for directly modulating dlPFC activity to improve reappraisal is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right dlPFC on cognitive reappraisal.
• To assess changes in subjective emotional arousal and skin conductance responses.

Main Methods:

• Double-blind, between-subjects, sham-controlled trial.
• Healthy participants received either active tDCS (1.5 mA for 20 min) or sham stimulation over the right dlPFC.
• Participants viewed emotional images and were instructed to downregulate, upregulate, or maintain emotions, followed by arousal ratings and physiological measures.

Main Results:

• Anodal tDCS during downregulation decreased skin conductance and emotional arousal ratings.
• Anodal tDCS during upregulation increased arousal ratings and marginally enhanced skin conductance responses.

Conclusions:

• tDCS facilitates cognitive reappraisal in both increasing and decreasing emotional responsiveness, depending on the regulatory goal.
• Findings support the potential of tDCS for modulating cognitive reappraisal.
• Further replication and complementary studies are needed due to study limitations.