6533b85cfe1ef96bd12bc1a9

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Enhancing memory performance with rTMS in healthy subjects and individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: the role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Massimiliano OliveriDaniela SmirniLisa CipolottiGiuseppa Renata ManganoPatrizia TurrizianiGiuseppe Zappalà

subject

medicine.medical_treatmentDLPFC; MCI; rTMS; recognition memory; retrievalMemory performanceDLPFCrecognition memorybehavioral disciplines and activitiesBehavioral Neurosciencemental disordersrTMSmedicineOriginal Research ArticleCognitive impairmentretrievalBiological PsychiatryRecognition memorySettore M-PSI/02 - Psicobiologia E Psicologia FisiologicaHealthy subjectsFunctional lateralizationMCIDorsolateral prefrontal cortexTranscranial magnetic stimulationPsychiatry and Mental healthmedicine.anatomical_structureNeuropsychology and Physiological Psychologynervous systemNeurologyRight dorsolateral prefrontal cortexPsychologyNeurosciencepsychological phenomena and processesNeuroscience

description

A debated question in the literature is the degree of anatomical and functional lateralization of the executive control processes subserved by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during recognition memory retrieval. We investigated if transient inhibition and excitation of the left and right DLPFC at retrieval by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) modulate recognition memory performance in 100 healthy controls (HCs) and in 8 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Recognition memory tasks of faces, buildings and words were used in different experiments. rTMS-inhibition of the right DLPFC enhanced recognition memory of verbal and non verbal material in both HCs and MCIs. rTMS-excitation of the same region in HCs deteriorated memory performance. Bilateral recruitment of the DLPFC could represent a dysfunctional use of brain resources in recognition memory. Inhibitory rTMS of the right DLPFC may modulate the activity in this dysfunctional network enhancing function in HCs or restoring an adaptive equilibrium in MCI.

10.3389/fnhum.2012.00062http://hdl.handle.net/10447/167750