Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory
Selective attention is relevant for goal directed behavior as it allows people to attend to task-relevant target stimuli and to ignore task-irrelevant distractors. Attentional focus at encoding affects subsequent memory for target and distractor stimuli. Remembering selectively more targets than dis...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIMS Press
2021-01-01
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| Series: | AIMS Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2021002?viewType=HTML |
| _version_ | 1818619910679429120 |
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| author | Mirela Dubravac Beat Meier |
| author_facet | Mirela Dubravac Beat Meier |
| author_sort | Mirela Dubravac |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Selective attention is relevant for goal directed behavior as it allows people to attend to task-relevant target stimuli and to ignore task-irrelevant distractors. Attentional focus at encoding affects subsequent memory for target and distractor stimuli. Remembering selectively more targets than distractors represents memory selectivity. Brain imaging studies suggest that the superior parietal cortex is associated with the dorsal attentional network supporting top-down control of selective attention while the inferior parietal cortex is associated with the ventral attentional network supporting bottom-up attentional orienting. To investigate the roles of the dorsal and ventral networks in the effect of selective attention during encoding on long-term memory, we stimulated the left superior and the right inferior parietal cortex. Building on previous work, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during a study phase where pictures and words were presented simultaneously and participants had to switch between a picture and a word decision. A subsequent recognition test assessed memory for target and distractor pictures and words. We hypothesized that a relative increase in activity in the dorsal network would boost selective attention while increased activity in the ventral network would impair selective attention. We also expected to find corresponding effects on memory. Enhanced selective attention should lead to higher memory selectivity, while impaired selective attention should lead to lower memory selectivity. Our results replicated that task switching reduced memory selectivity. However, we found no significant effects of tDCS. Thus, the present study questions the effectiveness of the present tDCS protocol for modulating attention during task switching and subsequent memory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:45:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16da2c08f16d4114bc5b4ddb756025ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-7972 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:45:00Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIMS Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-16da2c08f16d4114bc5b4ddb756025ab2022-12-21T22:22:30ZengAIMS PressAIMS Neuroscience2373-79722021-01-0181334610.3934/Neuroscience.2021002Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memoryMirela Dubravac0Beat Meier1Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandSelective attention is relevant for goal directed behavior as it allows people to attend to task-relevant target stimuli and to ignore task-irrelevant distractors. Attentional focus at encoding affects subsequent memory for target and distractor stimuli. Remembering selectively more targets than distractors represents memory selectivity. Brain imaging studies suggest that the superior parietal cortex is associated with the dorsal attentional network supporting top-down control of selective attention while the inferior parietal cortex is associated with the ventral attentional network supporting bottom-up attentional orienting. To investigate the roles of the dorsal and ventral networks in the effect of selective attention during encoding on long-term memory, we stimulated the left superior and the right inferior parietal cortex. Building on previous work, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during a study phase where pictures and words were presented simultaneously and participants had to switch between a picture and a word decision. A subsequent recognition test assessed memory for target and distractor pictures and words. We hypothesized that a relative increase in activity in the dorsal network would boost selective attention while increased activity in the ventral network would impair selective attention. We also expected to find corresponding effects on memory. Enhanced selective attention should lead to higher memory selectivity, while impaired selective attention should lead to lower memory selectivity. Our results replicated that task switching reduced memory selectivity. However, we found no significant effects of tDCS. Thus, the present study questions the effectiveness of the present tDCS protocol for modulating attention during task switching and subsequent memory.http://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2021002?viewType=HTMLbrain stimulationtdcsparietal cortexattentionmemoryneuronal networks |
| spellingShingle | Mirela Dubravac Beat Meier Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory AIMS Neuroscience brain stimulation tdcs parietal cortex attention memory neuronal networks |
| title | Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory |
| title_full | Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory |
| title_fullStr | Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory |
| title_short | Stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): no effects on attention and memory |
| title_sort | stimulating the parietal cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation tdcs no effects on attention and memory |
| topic | brain stimulation tdcs parietal cortex attention memory neuronal networks |
| url | http://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2021002?viewType=HTML |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mireladubravac stimulatingtheparietalcortexbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsnoeffectsonattentionandmemory AT beatmeier stimulatingtheparietalcortexbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsnoeffectsonattentionandmemory |