title: The Role of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Phasic Alertness: Evidence from a Contingent Negative Variation and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study.
abstract: Phasic alertness represents the ability to increase response readiness to a target following an external warning stimulus. Specific networks in the frontal and parietal regions appear to be involved in the alert state. In this study, we examined the role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the attentional processing of a stimulus using a cued double-choice reaction time task. The evaluation of these processes was conducted by means of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), in particular by using the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), and repetitive 1-Hz Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). Transient virtual inhibition of the right DLPFC induced by real 1-Hz rTMS stimulation led to a significant decrease in total CNV and W1-CNV areas if compared with the basal and post-sham rTMS conditions. Reaction times (RTs) did not decrease after inhibitory rTMS, but they did improve after sham stimulation. These results suggest that the right DLPFC plays a crucial role in the genesis and maintenance of the alerting state and learning processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mannarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pauletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy ; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Via di Scandicci 265, 50143 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy ; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Via di Scandicci 265, 50143 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amantini
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Augugliaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, A. Fiorini Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Via Firenze, 04019 Terracina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Currà
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Missori
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Locuratolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neurophysiopathology Unit, Sandro Pertini Hospital, Via Monti Tiburtini 385, 00157 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Steno
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rinalduzzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fattapposta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D014851:Wakefulness; D055815:Young Adult