title: Modulation of selective attention by polarity-specific tDCS effects.
abstract: Selective attention relies on working memory to maintain an attention set of task priorities. Consequently, selective attention is more efficient when working memory resources are not depleted. However, there is some evidence that distractors are processed even when working memory load is low. We used tDCS to assess whether boosting the activity of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), involved in selective attention and working memory, would reduce interference from emotional distractors. Findings showed that anodal tDCS over the DLPFC was not sufficient to reduce interference from angry distractors. In contrast, cathodal tDCS over the DLPFC reduced interference from happy distractors. These findings show that altering the DLPFC activity is not sufficient to establish top-down control and increase selective attention efficiency. Although, when the neural signal in the DLPFC is altered by cathodal tDCS, interference from emotional distractors is reduced, leading to an improved performance.
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University, Department of Psychology, Via Dei Marsi, 78 Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: anna.pecchinenda@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pecchinenda
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University, Department of Psychology, Via Dei Marsi, 78 Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.affiliation: The Department of Psychology, The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavidor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Emotion; Interference task; Selective attention; Working memory; tDCS