Enhancing visual-spatial learning by focalized transcranial direct current stimulation

视觉空间情景记忆的形成，包括物体位置记忆，对于适应整个生活中不断变化的环境至关重要，并且已知在衰老和衰老相关疾病中会下降。鉴于这种类型的记忆在日常生活中的各种任务中具有内在的生态相关性和必要性，该项目将专门研究通过个性化的局部经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）增强这一过程的神经机制和预测因素。从长远来看，该项目的成果将有助于改善神经退行性疾病患者的治疗（例如，痴呆及其前兆）或神经损伤（中风后视觉空间缺陷）。在研究单位的更广泛的背景下，本研究是八个项目之一，调查tDCS对学习和记忆形成跨功能域的影响（项目1-8）。这些经验项目所追求的高度系统和协调的方法将首次允许分析潜在的神经机制和行为刺激反应的预测因素，不仅在每个项目中，而且在不同的任务和功能域中（在项目9中）。目前的项目将提供关于tDCS如何调节空间情景记忆形成的独特信息，从而补充了项目2（PI布兰肯堡）中tDCS诱导的空间工作记忆增强的研究。从项目3中获得的结果，使用类似的学习范式，以调查口头情景记忆的形成（PI迈因泽）的比较，将允许调查域的特异性的结果。总的来说，研究单位的实证项目的结果将增加我们目前对tDCS诱导的神经网络效应，其区域特异性和刺激效应的个体间变异性的机制的理解。从方法论的角度来看，这些项目中获得的数据将有助于优化和验证电流的生物物理模型（P9+10），从而推动tDCS在健康和疾病方面的未来实验和转化应用。

Visual-spatial episodic memory formation, including object-location memory, is crucial for adapting to changing environments throughout life, and is known to decline in aging and aging-associated diseases. Given that this type of memory is inherently ecologically relevant and necessary for a variety of tasks in everyday life, this project will specifically investigate the neural mechanisms and predictors underlying enhancement of this process by individualized, focal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In the long-run, outcomes of this project will contribute to improving treatment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., dementia and its precursors) or neurological injury (post-stroke visuo-spatial deficits). Within the broader context of the Research Unit, the present study is one of eight projects investigating tDCS effects on learning and memory formation across functional domains (Projects 1-8). The highly systematic and coordinated approach pursued by these empirical projects will allow for the first time analyzing the underlying neural mechanisms and predictors of behavioural stimulation response not only within each project, but also across the different tasks and functional domains (in Project 9).The current project will contribute unique information on how tDCS modulates spatial episodic memory formation, thereby complementing the investigation of tDCS-induced enhancement of spatial working memory in Project 2 (PI Blankenburg). Comparison with results obtained from Project 3, that uses a similar learning paradigm to investigate verbal episodic memory formation (PI Meinzer), will allow to investigate domain specificity of outcomes. Collectively, the results of the empirical projects of the Research Unit will increase our current understanding of tDCS-induced neural network effects, their regional specificity and the mechanisms underlying inter-individual variability of stimulation effects. From a methodological point of view, data acquired in these projects will contribute to optimizing and validating biophysical models of current flow (in P9+10), thereby advancing future experimental and translational applications of tDCS in health and disease.