title: Intermittent theta burst stimulation over left BA10 enhances virtual reality-based prospective memory in healthy aged subjects.
abstract: Prospective memory (PM) refers to a complex cognitive ability that underpins the delayed execution of previously formulated intentions. PM performance declines early in normal aging and this process is accentuated in Alzheimer's disease. The left frontopolar cortex (BA10) has been consistently assigned a major role in PM functioning, but whether it can be noninvasively modulated to enhance PM performance in aged people has not been addressed so far. Here, we investigated the effects of modulating left BA10 by means of theta burst stimulation (TBS), using either excitatory (intermittent TBS), inhibitory (continuous TBS) or control (vertex) TBS in healthy aged subjects. The behavioral effects were assessed using a reliable and ecological virtual reality PM task that included both event- and time-based retrievals. As compared with vertex stimulation, event-based PM performance significantly improved after excitatory stimulation, whereas inhibitory stimulation had no significant effect. Additionally, and across the different types of stimulation, performance for congruent links between the event-based PM cue and the action to be performed was significantly better as compared with incongruent links. In conclusion, intermittent TBS might provide a relevant interventional strategy to counteract the decline of cognitive functions and memory abilities in normal aging.
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S894, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Laboratory of Memory and Cognition, Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France; Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Neuropsychology of aging (EA 4468), Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France. Electronic address: Ursula.debarnot@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Debarnot
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epileptology, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crépon
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S894, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Laboratory of Memory and Cognition, Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orriols
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S894, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Laboratory of Memory and Cognition, Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abram
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological and Functional Imaging, University Paris Descartes, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, INSERM U894, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charron
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological and Functional Imaging, University Paris Descartes, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, INSERM U894, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lion
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological and Functional Imaging, University Paris Descartes, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, INSERM U894, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological and Functional Imaging, University Paris Descartes, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, INSERM U894, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epileptology, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gueguen
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology of aging (EA 4468), Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ergis
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S894, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S894, Center of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Laboratory of Memory and Cognition, Institute of Psychology, University Paris Descartes, Boulogne Billancourt, France. Electronic address: pascale.piolino@parisdescartes.fr.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piolino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Aging; Frontopolar area; Prospective memory; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Virtual reality