Transcranial Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Prevents Stress-Induced Working Memory Deficits
Transcranial Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Prevents Stress-Induced Working Memory Deficits
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.3687-15.2016
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发表时间：
2016-01-27
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Schwabe, Lars
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bogdanov, Mario;Schwabe, Lars
众所周知，压力会损害工作记忆的表现。压力对工作记忆的破坏性影响与背外侧前额叶皮层（dlPFC）活动的减少有关。在本实验中，我们测试了 dlPFC 的经颅直流电刺激 (tDCS) 是否可以预防压力引起的工作记忆损伤。我们以 2 d、假对照、双盲受试者间设计对 120 名健康参与者进行了测试。参与者在第一天完成了对其个人基线工作记忆能力的测试。在第二天，参与者在执行视觉空间和言语工作记忆任务之前受到压力源或控制操作。当参与者完成任务时，在右侧 dlPFC 上应用阳极、阴极或假 tDCS。压力会损害这两项任务的工作记忆表现，尽管与视觉空间工作记忆任务相比，言语任务的程度较小。这种压力引起的工作记忆损伤可以通过dlPFC的阳极刺激来预防，但假刺激或阴极刺激则不能。与假刺激或阴极刺激相比，阳极 tDCS 在压力后的两项任务中都能显着改善工作记忆表现。我们的研究结果表明，dlPFC 在急性应激后的工作记忆损伤中具有因果作用，并指出阳极 tDCS 作为一种有前途的工具，可以减少与压力相关的精神障碍（例如抑郁症、精神分裂症或创伤后应激障碍）中与工作记忆相关的认知缺陷。
Stress is known to impair working memory performance. This disruptive effect of stress on working memory has been linked to a decrease in the activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). In the present experiment, we tested whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dlPFC can prevent stress-induced working memory impairments. We tested 120 healthy participants in a 2 d, sham-controlled, double-blind between-subjects design. Participants completed a test of their individual baseline working memory capacity on day 1. On day 2, participants were exposed to either a stressor or a control manipulation before they performed a visuospatial and a verbal working memory task. While participants completed the tasks, anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS was applied over the right dlPFC. Stress impaired working memory performance in both tasks, albeit to a lesser extent in the verbal compared with the visuospatial working memory task. This stress-induced working memory impairment was prevented by anodal, but not sham or cathodal, stimulation of the dlPFC. Compared with sham or cathodal stimulation, anodal tDCS led to significantly better working memory performance in both tasks after stress. Our findings indicate a causal role of the dlPFC in working memory impairments after acute stress and point to anodal tDCS as a promising tool to reduce cognitive deficits related to working memory in stress-related mental disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder.