Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

In this study, we investigated the effects of tDCS over the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during a visual working memory (WM) task, which probes different sources of response error underlying the precision of WM recall. In two separate experiments, we demonstrated that tDCS enhanced WM precision when applied bilaterally over the PPC, independent of electrode configuration. In a third experiment, we demonstrated with unilateral electrode configuration over the right PPC, that only cathodal tDCS enhanced WM precision and only when baseline performance was low. Looking at the effects on underlying sources of error, we found that cathodal stimulation enhanced the probability of correct target response across all participants by reducing feature-misbinding. Only for low-baseline performers, cathodal stimulation also reduced variability of recall. We conclude that cathodal- but not anodal tDCS can improve WM precision by preventing feature-misbinding and hereby enhancing attentional selection. For low-baseline performers, cathodal tDCS also protects the memory trace. Furthermore, stimulation over bilateral PPC is more potent than unilateral cathodal tDCS in enhancing general WM precision.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.028

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neuropsychologia

Publication Date

01/07/2016

Volume

87

Pages

35 - 42

Keywords

Error source, Parietal cortex, Polarity, Precision, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Visual working memory, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Attention, Eye Movement Measurements, Female, Functional Laterality, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Neuropsychological Tests, Parietal Lobe, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Young Adult