Highlights
- •Studies using tDCS over prefrontal cortex were reviewed.
- •Prefrontal tDCS modulates a wide variety of cognitive functions.
- •It is difficult to predict the effects of tDCS due to variability in response.
- •Cognitive functions can be modulated in parallel with the same stimulation parameters.
Abstract
Background
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly used in research and
clinical settings, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is often chosen
as a target for stimulation. While numerous studies report modulation of cognitive
abilities following DLPFC stimulation, the wide array of cognitive functions that
can be modulated makes it difficult to predict its precise outcome.
Objective
The present review aims at identifying and characterizing the various cognitive domains
affected by tDCS over DLPFC.
Methods
Articles using tDCS over DLPFC indexed in PubMed and published between January 2000
and January 2014 were included in the present review.
Results
tDCS over DLPFC affects a wide array of cognitive functions, with sometimes apparent
conflicting results.
Conclusion
Prefrontal tDCS has the potential to modulate numerous cognitive functions simultaneously,
but to properly interpret the results, a clear a priori hypothesis is necessary, careful
technical consideration are mandatory, further insights into the neurobiological impact
of tDCS are needed, and consideration should be given to the possibility that some
behavioral effects may be partly explained by parallel modulation of related functions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 10, 2014
Accepted:
October 7,
2014
Received:
August 15,
2014
Footnotes
This study was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé. ST is supported by a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. JFL is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. APL is supported in part by grants from the Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (R01HD069776, R01NS073601, R21 MH099196, R21 NS082870, R21 NS085491, R21 HD07616), Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (NCRR and the NCATS NIH, UL1 RR025758), and an investigator-initiated grant from Neuronix Ltd. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Harvard Catalyst, Harvard University and its affiliated academic health care centers, the National Institutes of Health or the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Foundation.
Conflict of interest disclosure: APL serves on the scientific advisory boards for Nexstim, Neuronix, Starlab Neuroscience, Neuroelectrics, Axilum Robotics, Magstim Inc., and Neosync; and is listed as an inventor on several issued and pending patents on the real-time integration of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
