Post-training stimulation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex impairs working memory training performance. 2021

Jacky Au, and Benjamin Katz, and Austin Moon, and Sheebani Talati, and Tessa R Abagis, and John Jonides, and Susanne M Jaeggi
School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.

Research investigating transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to enhance cognitive training augments both our understanding of its long-term effects on cognitive plasticity as well as potential applications to strengthen cognitive interventions. Previous work has demonstrated enhancement of working memory training while applying concurrent tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, the optimal stimulation parameters are still unknown. For example, the timing of tDCS delivery has been shown to be an influential variable that can interact with task learning. In the present study, we used tDCS to target the right DLPFC while participants trained on a visuospatial working memory task. We sought to compare the relative efficacy of online stimulation delivered during training to offline stimulation delivered either immediately before or afterwards. We were unable to replicate previously demonstrated benefits of online stimulation; however, we did find evidence that offline stimulation delivered after training can actually be detrimental to training performance relative to sham. We interpret our results in light of evidence suggesting a role of the right DLPFC in promoting memory interference, and conclude that while tDCS may be a promising tool to influence the results of cognitive training, more research and an abundance of caution are needed before fully endorsing its use for cognitive enhancement. This work suggests that effects can vary substantially in magnitude and direction between studies, and may be heavily dependent on a variety of intervention protocol parameters such as the timing and location of stimulation delivery, about which our understanding is still nascent.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007858 Learning Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge. Phenomenography
D008297 Male Males
D008570 Memory, Short-Term Remembrance of information for a few seconds to hours. Immediate Recall,Memory, Immediate,Working Memory,Memory, Shortterm,Immediate Memories,Immediate Memory,Immediate Recalls,Memories, Immediate,Memories, Short-Term,Memories, Shortterm,Memory, Short Term,Recall, Immediate,Recalls, Immediate,Short-Term Memories,Short-Term Memory,Shortterm Memories,Shortterm Memory,Working Memories
D005260 Female Females
D005500 Follow-Up Studies Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease. Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000087643 Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex The upper surfaces of the prefrontal cortex comprising the rostral parts of the superior frontal gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus. It is involved in EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. Brodmann Area 46,Brodmann Area 9,Brodmann Area 9 and 46,Brodmann Areas 9 and 46,Brodmann's Area 46,Brodmann's Area 9,Brodmann's Area 9 and 46,Brodmann's Areas 9 and 46,DLPFC,Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsolateral,Area 46, Brodmann,Area 46, Brodmann's,Area 9, Brodmann,Area 9, Brodmann's,Brodmanns Area 46,Brodmanns Area 9,Cortex, Dorsolateral Prefrontal,Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortices
D055815 Young Adult A person between 19 and 24 years of age. Adult, Young,Adults, Young,Young Adults
D065908 Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation A technique of brain electric stimulation therapy which uses constant, low current delivered via ELECTRODES placed on various locations on the scalp. Anodal Stimulation Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation,Anodal Stimulation tDCS,Cathodal Stimulation Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation,Cathodal Stimulation tDCS,Repetitive Transcranial Electrical Stimulation,Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation,Transcranial Electrical Stimulation,Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation,tDCS,Anodal Stimulation tDCSs,Cathodal Stimulation tDCSs,Electrical Stimulation, Transcranial,Electrical Stimulations, Transcranial,Stimulation tDCS, Anodal,Stimulation tDCS, Cathodal,Stimulation tDCSs, Anodal,Stimulation tDCSs, Cathodal,Stimulation, Transcranial Electrical,Stimulations, Transcranial Electrical,Transcranial Electrical Stimulations,tDCS, Anodal Stimulation,tDCS, Cathodal Stimulation,tDCSs, Anodal Stimulation,tDCSs, Cathodal Stimulation

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