scholarly journals Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Decreases Emotional Memory Schemas

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 3608-3616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonore Bovy ◽  
Ruud M W J Berkers ◽  
Julia C M Pottkämper ◽  
Rathiga Varatheeswaran ◽  
Guillén Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Mood Induction ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Memory Bias

Abstract Mood-congruent memory bias is a critical characteristic of depression, but the underlying neural mechanism is largely unknown. Negative memory schemas might enhance encoding and consolidation of negative experiences, thereby contributing to the genesis and perpetuation of depressive pathology. To investigate this relationship, we aimed to perturb medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) processing, using neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting the mPFC. Forty healthy volunteers first underwent a negative mood induction to activate negative schema processing after which they received either active inhibitory (N = 20) or control (N = 20) stimulation to the mPFC. Then, all participants performed the encoding of an emotional false memory task. Recall and recognition performance was tested the following morning. Polysomnographic data were recorded continuously during the night before and after encoding. We observed a significantly lower false recognition of negative critical lures following mPFC inhibition, but no differences in veridical memory. These findings were supported by reaction time data, showing a relative slower response to negative compared with positive critical lures. The current findings support previous causal evidence for a role of the mPFC in schema memory processing and further suggest a role of the mPFC in memory bias.

scholarly journals The influence of transcranial magnetic stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex on emotional memory schemas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonore Bovy ◽  
Ruud M.W.J. Berkers ◽  
Julia Pottkämper ◽  
Rathiga Varatheesvaran ◽  
Guillén Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Mood Induction ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Memory Bias ◽  
Control Group

AbstractMemory bias for negative information is a critical characteristic of major depression, but the underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. The recently revived concept of memory schemas may shed new light on memory bias in depression: negative schemas might enhance the encoding and consolidation of negative experiences, thereby contributing to the genesis and perpetuation of depressive pathology. To investigate this relationship, we aimed to transiently perturb processing in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a core region involved in schema memory, using neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting the mPFC. Forty healthy volunteers first underwent a negative mood induction to activate negative schema processing after which they received either active inhibitory (N = 20) or control (N = 20) stimulation to the mPFC. Then, all participants performed the encoding of an emotional false memory task. Recall and recognition performance was tested the following morning. Polysomnographic data was recorded continuously during the night before and after encoding. Secondary measures included sleep and mood questionnaires. We observed a significantly lower number of false recognition of negative critical lures following mPFC perturbation compared to the control group, whereas no differences in veridical memory performance were observed. These findings were supported by reaction time data. No relation between REM sleep and (false) emotional memory performance was observed. These findings support previous causal evidence for a role of the mPFC in schema memory processing and further suggest a role of the mPFC in memory bias.

scholarly journals Medial prefrontal cortex has a causal role in selectively enhanced consolidation of emotional memories after a 24-hour delay: An iTBS study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Yeh ◽  
Jessica D. Payne ◽  
Sara Y. Kim ◽  
Elizabeth A. Kensinger ◽  
Joshua D. Koen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Delay Test ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Phase Recognition

AbstractPrevious research points to an association between retrieval-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and preservation of emotional information compared to co-occurring neutral information following sleep. Although the role of the mPFC in emotional memory likely begins at encoding, little research has examined how mPFC activity during encoding interacts with consolidation processes to enhance emotional memory. This issue was addressed in the present study using transcranial magnetic stimulation in conjunction with an emotional memory paradigm. Healthy males and females encoded negative and neutral scenes while undergoing concurrent TMS with an intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol. Participants received stimulation to either the mPFC or an active control site (motor cortex) during the encoding phase. Recognition memory for scene components (objects and backgrounds) was assessed after a short (30 minutes) and a long delay (24-hours including a night of sleep) to obtain measures of specific and gist-based memory processes. The results demonstrated that, relative to control stimulation, iTBS to the mPFC enhanced gist, but not specific, memory for negative objects on the long delay test. mPFC stimulation had no discernable effect on gist memory for objects on the short delay test nor on the background images at either test. These results suggest that mPFC activity occurring during encoding interacts with consolidation processes to selectively preserve the gist of negatively salient information.Significance StatementUnderstanding how emotional information is remembered over long delays is critical to understanding memory in the real world. The present study uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate the interplay between mPFC activity that occurs during memory encoding and its subsequent interactions with post-encoding consolidation processes. Excitatory TMS delivered to the mPFC during encoding enhanced gist-based memory for negatively valenced pictures on a test following a 24-hr delay, with no such effect on a test occurring shortly after the encoding phase. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that emotional aspects of memories are differentially subjected to consolidation processes, and that the mPFC might contribute to this “tag-and-capture” mechanism during the initial formation of such memories.

scholarly journals Preliminary Evidence of the Role of Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Self-Enhancement: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Birgitta Taylor-Lillquist ◽  
Vivek Kanpa ◽  
Maya Crawford ◽  
Mehdi El Filali ◽  
Julia Oakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Social Pressure ◽  
The Other ◽  
Real Word ◽  
Medial Pfc

Humans employ a number of strategies to improve their position in their given social hierarchy. Overclaiming involves presenting oneself as having more knowledge than one actually possesses, and it is typically invoked to increase one’s social standing. If increased expectations to possess knowledge is a perceived social pressure, such expectations should increase bouts of overclaiming. As the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is sensitive to social pressure and disruption of the MPFC leads to decreases in overclaiming, we predicted that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the MPFC would reduce overclaiming and the effects would be enhanced in the presence of social pressure. Twelve participants were given a test in which half of the words were real and half were fake, and they were asked how well they knew each word. They were not told that any of the words were fake. Half of the participants were exposed to social pressure while the other half were not. Following TMS delivered to the MPFC, overclaiming rates decreased, specifically under conditions of high social pressure. Medial PFC TMS did not influence real word responses and real words did not interact with the MPFC and social pressure. These preliminary findings support the significant role the MPFC plays in social cognition and the importance of the MPFC in mediating socially meaningful situations. We suggest the role of the MPFC as being highly influenced by the premium placed on social manipulation in human evolution.

scholarly journals Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Decreases Emotional Memory Schemas

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. S236-S237
Author(s):  
Indira Tendolkar ◽  
Leonore Bovy ◽  
Ruud Berkers ◽  
Rathiga Varatheesvaran ◽  
Julia Pottkämper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals On a ‘failed’ attempt to manipulate conscious perception with transcranial magnetic stimulation to prefrontal cortex

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Ruby ◽  
Brian Maniscalco ◽  
Hakwan Lau ◽  
Megan A.K. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Conscious Perception ◽  
Negative Finding ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Null Result ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

AbstractIt has been reported that continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) impairs metacognitive awareness in visual perception (Rounis et al., 2010). Bor et al. (2017) recently attempted to replicate this result. However, the authors modified the experimental design of the original study considerably, meaning that this was not strictly a replication. In some cases, the changes are a priori expected to lower the chance of obtaining positive findings. Despite these changes, the researchers in fact still found an effect similar to Rounis et al.’s, but they claimed that it was necessary to adopt certain criteria to discard ∽30% of their subjects, after which a null result was reported. Using computer simulations, we evaluated whether the subject exclusion criteria Bor et al. adopted was appropriate or beneficial. We found that, contrary to their intended purpose, excluding subjects by their criteria does not actually reduce false positive rates. Taking into account both their positive result (without subject exclusion) and negative result (after exclusion) in a Bayesian framework, we further found that their results suggest a 75% or greater likelihood that TMS to DLPFC does in fact impair metacognition, directly contradicting their claim of replication failure. That lesion and chemical inactivation studies are known to demonstrate positive effects in similar paradigms further suggests that Bor et al.’s alleged negative finding cannot be taken as evidence against the role of the prefrontal cortex in conscious perception in general.

Overclaiming and the medial prefrontal cortex: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Amati ◽  
Hanna Oh ◽  
Virginia S. Y. Kwan ◽  
Kelly Jordan ◽  
Julian Paul Keenan
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation

scholarly journals Response to Ruby et al: On a ‘failed’ attempt to manipulate conscious perception with transcranial magnetic stimulation to prefrontal cortex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Seth ◽  
Adam Barrett ◽  
David J Schwartzman ◽  
Daniel Bor
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Signal Detection Theory ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Good Evidence ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical

Does disruption of prefrontal cortical activity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) impair visual metacognition? An initial study supporting this idea (Rounis, Maniscalco, Rothwell, Passingham, & Lau, 2010) motivated an attempted replication and extension (Bor, Schwartzman, Barrett, & Seth, 2017). Bor et al. failed to replicate the initial study, concluding that there was not good evidence that TMS to prefrontal cortex impairs visual metacognition. This failed replication has recently been critiqued by some of the authors of the initial study (Ruby, Maniscalco, Lau, & Peters, 2017). Here, we argue that these recent criticisms are misplaced. In responding to the criticisms of Ruby et al, we encounter some more general issues concerning good practice in replication of cognitive neuroscience studies, and in setting criteria for excluding data when employing statistical analyses like signal detection theory. We look forward to further studies of the role of prefrontal cortex in metacognition, with increasingly refined methodologies, motivated by the discussions in this series of papers.

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