Investigating the neural and behavioral correlates of the stress-rumination link in healthy humans by modulating the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex using Theta Burst Stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) offers a noninvasive way to modulate neural activation patterns, helping to explore the causal role of brain regions in psychiatric symptoms. Prefrontal hypoactivation is commonly observed in high ruminators and patients with depression during stress. However, the impact of modulating Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) activity via excitatory and inhibitory TBS during stress remains unexplored. We studied 88 healthy participants (44 low, 44 high ruminators), each attending two appointments that included stress induction using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and cortical oxygenation assessment with functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Participants received either intermittent TBS (iTBS) or continuous TBS (cTBS) applied to the left DLPFC, with

SUBMITTER: Int-Veen I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12464127 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature