Noninvasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Left Prefrontal Cortex Facilitates Cognitive Flexibility in Tool Use

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Issue Date
2013-06-01Author
Chrysikou, Evangelia G.
Hamilton, Roy H.
Coslett, H. Branch
Datta, Abhishek
Marom, Bikson
Thomspon-Schill, Sharon L.
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, author accepted manuscript
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Recent neuroscience evidence suggests that some higher-order tasks might benefit from a reduction in sensory filtering associated with low levels of cognitive control. Guided by neuroimaging findings, we hypothesized that cathodal (inhibitory) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will facilitate performance in a flexible use generation task. Participants saw pictures of artifacts and generated aloud either the object’s common use or an uncommon use for it, while receiving cathodal tDCS (1.5 mA) either over left or right PFC, or sham stimulation. A forward digit span task served as a negative control for potential general effects of stimulation. Analysis of voice-onset reaction times and number of responses generated showed significant facilitative effects of left PFC stimulation for the uncommon, but not the common use generation task and no effects of stimulation on the control task. The results support the hypothesis that certain tasks may benefit from a state of diminished cognitive control.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Cognitive Neuroscience on 2013-06-1, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17588928.2013.768221.
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Citation
Chrysikou, E. G., Hamilton, R. H., Coslett, H. B., Datta, A., Bikson, M., & Thomspon-Schill, S. L. (2013). Noninvasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Left Prefrontal Cortex Facilitates Cognitive Flexibility in Tool Use. Cognitive Neuroscience, 4(2), 81–89. http://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2013.768221
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