title: Left DLPFC rTMS stimulation reduced the anxiety bias effect or how to restore the positive memory processing in high-anxiety subjects.
abstract: In the present research we explored the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in memory retrieval process of positive vs. negative emotional stimulus, as a function of the anxiety levels. Anxiety behavior showed a consistent attentional bias toward negative and aversive memories, induced by a right frontal cortical superiority. This effect was analyzed by using a rTMS paradigm that induced a cortical activation of the left DLPFC. Subjects, who were divided in two different groups depending on their anxiety level (high/low-anxiety, State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, STAI), were required to perform a task consisting of two experimental phases: an encoding-phase, where some lists composed by positive and negative emotional words were presented to the subjects; and a retrieval-phase, where the old stimuli and new stimuli were presented for a recognition performance. We found that the rTMS stimulation affects the memory retrieval of emotional material. High-anxiety subjects benefit in greater measure from the left DLPFC stimulation with a reduced negative bias. This result suggested that left DLPFC activation favors the memory retrieval of positive emotional information and might limit the "unbalance effect" induced by a right hemispheric superiority at a high level of anxiety. The potentiality of TMS for anxiety behavior modulation was also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit in Neuropsychology of Language, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: michela.balconi@unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balconi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D015982:Bias; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; DLPFC; Emotions; Retrieval task; rTMS