Transcranial direct current stimulation improves audioverbal short-term memory in healthy subjects

DOI Web Site
  • Kazuta Toshinari
    Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Takeda Kotaro
    ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Murayama Medical Center
  • Tanaka Satoshi
    Center for Fostering Young and Innovative Researchers, Nagoya Institute of Technology
  • Odagaki Seiji
    Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Osu Rieko
    ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories
  • Otaka Yohei
    Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine
  • Kondo Kunitsugu
    Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Liu Meigen
    Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 経頭蓋直流電気刺激による聴覚言語性短期記憶の増強作用
  • ケイ ズガイ チョクリュウ デンキ シゲキ ニ ヨル チョウカク ゲンゴセイ タンキ キオク ノ ゾウキョウ サヨウ

Search this article

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive, painless cortical stimulation technique. Depending on the polarity of the current flow, brain excitability can either be increased by the anodal tDCS or decreased by the cathodal tDCS. The aim of the present study was to examine the behavioral effects of direct current delivery on left posterior temporal and inferior parietal cortices during the Rey’s auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT) that examine audioverbal short-term memory. The RAVLT includes a list of 15 common words to be read one-by-one. After the presentation of 15 words, the subjects are required to repeat as many words as they can. The encoding-recall procedure is repeated five times. Twelve healthy subjects performed the RAVLT, during which, 10 minutes anodal and 15 seconds sham current was applied on left posterior temporal and inferior parietal cortex from the second encoding process. There was a significant difference in the mean number of remembered words between anodal and sham stimulation on the second process. Anodal tDCS increased the number of remembered words when compared to sham stimulation. Our results imply that anodal tDCS induced short-term modulation of the left posterior temporal and inferior parietal cortex while learning auditory presented words. tDCS is a promising tool for improving memory performance.

Journal

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top