Dopamine depletion effects on cognitive flexibility as modulated by tDCS of the dlPFC.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may interact with the dopaminergic system to affect cognitive flexibility. Objective/hypotheses: We examined whether putative reduction of dopamine levels through the acute phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion (APTD) procedure and excitatory anodal tDCS of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are causally related to cognitive flexibility as measured by task switching and reversal learning.

Method

A double-blind, sham-controlled, randomised trial was conducted to test the effects of combining anodal tDCS and depletion of catecholaminergic precursor tyrosine on cognitive flexibility.

Results

Anodal tDCS and tyrosine depletion had a significant effect on task switching, but not reve

SUBMITTER: Borwick C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7116421 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan - Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature