title: Effects of prefrontal rTMS on autonomic reactions to affective pictures.
abstract: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can modulate the excitability of stimulated cortical areas, such as prefrontal areas involved in emotion regulation. Low frequency (LF) rTMS is expected to have inhibitory effects on prefrontal regions, and thereby should disinhibit limbic activity, resulting in enhanced emotional and autonomic reactions. For high frequency (HF) rTMS, the opposite pattern might be assumed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different rTMS frequencies applied to the right dlPFC on autonomic functions and on emotional perception. In a crossover design, two groups of 20 healthy young women were either stimulated with one session of LF rTMS (1 Hz) or one session of HF rTMS (10 Hz), compared to sham stimulation. We assessed phasic cardiac responses (PCR), skin conductance reactions (SCR), and emotional appraisal of emotional pictures as well as recognition memory after each rTMS application. After LF rTMS, PCR (heart rate deceleration) during presentation of pictures with negative and neutral valence was significantly increased compared to the presentation of positive pictures. In contrast, the modulatory effect of picture valence and arousal on the cardiac orienting response was absent after HF rTMS. Our results suggest that frontal LF rTMS indirectly activates the ANS via inhibition of the right dlPFC activity, likely by enhancing the sensory processing or attention to aversive and neutral stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center of Rostock, University of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Straße 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany. christoph.berger@med.uni-rostock.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0832-5526
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, Department of Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.|Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Domes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Straße 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balschat
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Straße 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thome
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Straße 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Höppner
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Heart rate; Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; Skin conductance; dlPFC; rTMS