title: Cerebellar tDCS does not improve performance in probabilistic classification learning.
abstract: In this study, the role of the cerebellum in a cognitive learning task using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was investigated. Using a weather prediction task, subjects had to learn the probabilistic associations between a stimulus (a combination of cards) and an outcome (sun or rain). This task is a variant of a probabilistic classification learning task, for which it has been reported that prefrontal tDCS enhances performance. Using a between-subject design, all 30 subjects learned to improve their performance with increasing accuracies and shortened response times over a series of 500 trials. Subjects also became more confident in their prediction during the experiment. However, no differences in performance and learning were observed between subjects receiving sham stimulation (n = 10) or anodal stimulation (2 mA for 20 min) over either the right cerebellum (n = 10) or the left prefrontal cortex (n = 10). This suggests that stimulating the brain with cerebellar tDCS does not readily influence probabilistic classification performances, probably due to the rather complex nature of this cognitive task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience (Ee1202), Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seyed Majidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience (Ee1202), Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Verhage
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zlotowski Centre for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Donchin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience (Ee1202), Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zlotowski Centre for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience (Ee1202), Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Erasmus University College, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Frens
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience (Ee1202), Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. j.vandergeest@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: J N
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2870-4208
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: van der Geest
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011337:Probability Learning; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cerebellum; Cognition; Frontal cortex; Learning; tDCS