Stress priming transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enhances updating of emotional content in working memory

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the prefrontal cortex has emerged as a valuable tool in psychiatric research. Understanding the impact of affective states, such as stress at the time of stimulation, on the efficacy of prefrontal tDCS is crucial for advancing tDCS interventions. Stress-primed tDCS, wherein stress is used as a priming agent, has the potential to modulate neural plasticity and enhance cognitive functions, particularly in emotional working memory. However, prior research using stress-primed tDCS focused solely on non-emotional working memory performance, yielding mixed results.

Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - March 31, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Stefanie De Smet, Lais B. Razza, Matias M. Pulopulos, Rudi De Raedt, Chris Baeken, Andre R. Brunoni, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt Source Type: research