title: The enhancement of cortical excitability over the DLPFC before and during training impairs categorization in the prototype distortion task.
abstract: The present study investigated the effects of transcranial weak electrical stimulation techniques applied to the right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on categorization learning measured using a variant of the prototype distortion task. During the training phase of this task subjects saw low- and high distortions of a prototype dot-pattern. 60 participants received 10min of either anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current (tDCS), transcranial random noise (tRNS) or sham stimulation before and during the training. We have assessed the effects of the intervention during a test phase, where the subjects had to decide whether the consecutive high- and low-distortion versions of the prototype or random patterns that were presented belonged to the category established in the training phase. Our results show that the categorization of prototypes is significantly impaired by the application of anodal tDCS and tRNS to the DLPFC. The prototype-effect, observable in the case of the sham stimulation group, was severed in all active stimulation conditions.
authors: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Robert Koch Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. g.ambrus@gmail.com
authors: Géza Gergely
authors: GG
authors: Ambrus
authors: Márta
authors: M
authors: Zimmer
authors: Zsigmond Tamás
authors: ZT
authors: Kincses
authors: Irén
authors: I
authors: Harza
authors: Gyula
authors: G
authors: Kovács
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Paulus
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Antal
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010469:Perceptual Distortion / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult