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Disrupting prefrontal cortex prevents performance gains from sensory-motor training
Hannah L Filmer1, Jason B Mattingley, René Marois
1School of Psychology and Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia, and Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235.
Summary
Multitasking impairs performance due to response selection limits. Excitatory or inhibitory stimulation of the left posterior lateral prefrontal cortex (pLPFC) disrupted training effects, implicating the pLPFC in training-related improvements in decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Human multitasking leads to performance deficits, primarily attributed to limitations in response selection.
- Neuroimaging studies suggest the left posterior lateral prefrontal cortex (pLPFC) is crucial for response selection.
- Previous research lacks causal evidence for pLPFC's role in training-induced improvements in response selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal role of the left and right posterior lateral prefrontal cortex (pLPFC) in response selection and training effects.
- To determine if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the pLPFC affects training-related improvements in multitasking performance.
- To examine the hemispheric lateralization of pLPFC involvement in sensory-motor training.
Main Methods:
- Utilized anodal, cathodal, and sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left and right pLPFC.
- Participants performed high and low response selection load tasks under varying training durations.
- Measured the impact of tDCS on training-induced performance changes in response selection.
Main Results:
- Both anodal and cathodal tDCS applied to the left pLPFC significantly disrupted training effects on high load response selection tasks compared to sham stimulation.
- No significant disruption of training effects was observed with low load tasks or when stimulating the right pLPFC.
- These findings provide causal evidence for the left pLPFC's involvement in training-related enhancements of response selection efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The left posterior lateral prefrontal cortex (pLPFC) plays a critical causal role in both response selection and the training-induced improvements in this cognitive function.
- Training enhances response selection efficiency by optimizing neural activity within the left pLPFC, specifically in sensory-motor translation processes.
- The results support a left-lateralized role for the pLPFC in the neural mechanisms underlying learning and performance optimization during demanding cognitive tasks.
