Modulation of the cognitive event-related potential P3 by transcranial direct current stimulation: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Augusto J Mendes; Kevin Pacheco-Barrios; Alberto Lema; Óscar F Gonçalves; Felipe Fregni; Jorge Leite; Sandra Carvalho

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.002

Modulation of the cognitive event-related potential P3 by transcranial direct current stimulation: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 Jan:132:894-907. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.002. Epub 2021 Nov 3.

Authors

Augusto J Mendes¹, Kevin Pacheco-Barrios², Alberto Lema¹, Óscar F Gonçalves³, Felipe Fregni⁴, Jorge Leite⁵, Sandra Carvalho⁶

Affiliations

¹ Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
² Neuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Lima, Peru.
³ Proaction Laboratory - CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
⁴ Neuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
⁵ INPP, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal.
⁶ Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: sandrarc@ua.pt.

PMID: 34742723
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.002

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been widely used to modulate cognition and behavior. However, only a few studies have been probing the brain mechanism underlying the effects of tDCS on cognitive processing, especially throughout electrophysiological markers, such as the P3. This meta-analysis assessed the effects of tDCS in P3 amplitude and latency during an oddball, n-back, and Go/No-Go tasks, as well as during emotional processing. A total of 36 studies were identified, but only 23 were included in the quantitative analysis. The results show that the parietal P3 amplitude increased during oddball and n-back tasks, mostly after anodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (p = 0.018, SMD = 0.4) and right inferior frontal gyrus (p < 0.001, SMD = 0.669) respectively. These findings suggest the potential usefulness of the parietal P3 ERP as a marker of tDCS-induced effects during task performance. Nonetheless, this study had a low number of studies and the presence of considerable risk of bias, highlighting issues to be addressed in the future.

Keywords: Attention; Cognition; Event-related potential P3 P300; Inhibitory control; Working memory; tDCS.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Cognition / physiology
Evoked Potentials / physiology
Humans
Prefrontal Cortex / physiology
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation* / methods