tDCS over the left prefrontal cortex enhances cognitive control for positive affective stimuli

PLoS One. 2013 May 21;8(5):e62219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062219. Print 2013.

Abstract

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique with promising results for enhancing cognitive information processes. So far, however, research has mainly focused on the effects of tDCS on cognitive control operations for non-emotional material. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effects on cognitive control considering negative versus positive material. For this sham-controlled, within-subjects study, we selected a homogeneous sample of twenty-five healthy participants. By using behavioral measures and event related potentials (ERP) as indexes, we aimed to investigate whether a single session of anodal tDCS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) would have specific effects in enhancing cognitive control for positive and negative valenced stimuli. After tDCS over the left DLPFC (and not sham control stimulation), we observed more negative N450 amplitudes along with faster reaction times when inhibiting a habitual response to happy compared to sad facial expressions. Gender did not influence the effects of tDCS on cognitive control for emotional information. In line with the Valence Theory of side-lateralized activity, this stimulation protocol might have led to a left dominant (relative to right) prefrontal cortical activity, resulting in augmented cognitive control specifically for positive relative to negative stimuli. To verify that tDCS induces effects that are in line with all aspects of the well known Valence Theory, future research should investigate the effects of tDCS over the left vs. right DLPFC on cognitive control for emotional information.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Affect / physiology*
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Conflict, Psychological
  • Cues
  • Electric Stimulation / methods*
  • Electrodes
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Physical Stimulation
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Reaction Time
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

MAV (FWO08/PDO/168) is a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Preparation of this paper was also supported by Grant BOF10/GOA/014 for a Concerted Research Action of Ghent University (awarded to RDR). This work was also supported by the Ghent University Multidisciplinary Research Partnership “The integrative neuroscience of behavioral control” (CB). PSB is supported by a CNPq researcher grant (305718/2009-6). CC is supported by a PhD grant (FAPESP 2010/20063-9). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.