Theta-modulated oscillatory transcranial direct current stimulation over posterior parietal cortex improves associative memory

Abstract

Associative memory (AM) reflects the ability to remember and retrieve multiple pieces of information bound together thus enabling complex episodic experiences. Despite growing interest in the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the modulation of AM, there are inconsistent evidence regarding its benefits. An alternative to standard constant tDCS could be the application of frequency-modulated tDCS protocols, that mimic natural function-relevant brain rhythms. Here, we show the effects of anodal tDCS oscillating in theta rhythm (5 Hz; 1.5 ± 0.1 mA) versus constant anodal tDCS and sham over left posterior parietal cortex on cued recall of face-word associations. In a crossover design, each participant completed AM assessment immediately following 20-min theta-oscillatory, constant, and sham tDCS, as well as 1 and 5 days after. Theta oscillatory tDCS increased initial AM performance in comparison to sham, and so did constant tDCS. On the group level, no differences between oscillatory and constant tDCS were observed, but individual-level analysis revealed that some participants responded to theta-oscillatory but not to constant tDCS, and vice versa, which could be attributed to their different physiological modes of action. This study shows the potential of oscillatory tDCS protocols for memory enhancement to produce strong and reliable memory-modulating effects which deserve to be investigated further.

Figure 1

(A) Study flow overview. Empty circles represent three experimental sessions, while full circles represent follow-up memory assessments. (B) Experimental session overview with illustrations of tDCS protocols (A—sham, B—constant tDCS, C—theta otDCS) and FCWR task.

Figure 2

(A) The distribution of immediate cued recall across stimulation conditions (box: SD and grand mean line, whisker: range). Colored bullets indicate responders to constant tDCS and theta otDCS in comparison to their sham score. (B) The full stimulation × time model (grand mean and SE).