Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2025
08:55
Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition
Published on: February 8, 2018
9.4K
Network-based rTMS to modulate working memory: The difficult choice of effective parameters for online interventions
Lysianne Beynel1, Moritz Dannhauer1, Hannah Palmer1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Brain and Behavior
|October 15, 2021
Summary
This study investigated if online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could selectively modulate working memory (WM) subprocesses. Researchers found no significant behavioral changes, but noted trends suggesting stimulation amplitude and brain activation may influence WM outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can alter working memory (WM) performance based on stimulation site.
- Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation may improve WM, while lateral parietal cortex (LPC) stimulation might impair it.
- Distinct cortical networks support WM maintenance and manipulation, but rTMS effects on these subprocesses remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if site-specific online rTMS can differentially modulate WM subprocesses (maintenance vs. manipulation).
- To explore the relationship between rTMS parameters, brain activation, and WM performance.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-nine participants received active or sham 5Hz rTMS over individually targeted DLPFC and LPC regions.
- Participants performed tasks requiring either WM maintenance alone or maintenance with manipulation (alphabetization).
- Stimulation amplitude was individualized using electric field modeling.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in WM performance were observed between active and sham rTMS conditions.
- Exploratory analyses revealed non-significant trends suggesting potential influences of stimulation amplitude and fMRI activation on rTMS effects.
Conclusions:
- This study did not demonstrate significant behavioral modulation of WM subprocesses by site-specific online rTMS.
- Future research should consider stimulation amplitude and functional brain activation as key parameters for optimizing rTMS effects on WM.
