Effects of anodal TDCS stimulation of left parietal cortex on visual spatial attention tasks in men and women across menstrual cycle.
Sex hormonal variations have been shown to affect functional cerebral asymmetries in cognitive domains, contributing to sex-related differences in functional cerebral organization. The aim of this study was to investigate spatial attention by means of a bisection line test and computer-supported attention task during the menstrual cycle in healthy women compared to men, in basal condition and under Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) of the left parietal cortex. Women were studied during the menses, follicular and luteal phases, ascertained by transvaginal ultrasounds. In basal conditions, women showed a clear deviation toward the right in the bisection line test during the menstrual phase, similarly to men. The midpoint recognition in the computer-supported attention task was not influenced by the menstrual cycle for women, while men showed a significant increase in errors toward the left side. The anodal activation of the left parietal cortex did not affect the line bisection task, while in men it reduced the total amount of errors in midpoint recognition observed in the computer supported attention task. The hand-use effect demonstrated by the bisection-line test could be influenced by estrogen fluctuations, while the right hemisphere prevalence in spatial attention appears to be gender-related and scarcely influenced by the menstrual cycle. The left parietal cortex seems to exert a scarce effect on hand-use effect, while its activation is able to revert sex related right hemisphere supremacy.
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy. Electronic address: marina.detommaso@uniba.it.
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de Tommaso
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy.
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Invitto
Biological and Environmental Science and Technology Department (DISTEBA), Salento University, Italy.
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Ricci
Biological and Environmental Science and Technology Department (DISTEBA), Salento University, Italy.
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Lucchese
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy.
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Delussi
Biomedical and Oncology Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Italy.
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Quattromini
Biomedical and Oncology Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Italy.
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Bettocchi
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy; Biomedical and Oncology Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Italy; Biological and Environmental Science and Technology Department (DISTEBA), Salento University, Italy.
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Pinto
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy.
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Lancioni
Medical Basic Neuroscience and Sensory System Department (SMBNOS) , Italy; Biomedical and Oncology Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Italy; Biological and Environmental Science and Technology Department (DISTEBA), Salento University, Italy.
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Livrea
Biomedical and Oncology Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Italy.
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Cicinelli
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D065855:Spatial Processing / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
Attention; Functional cerebral asymmetry; Gender; Hormonal fluctuations; TDCS