Open AccessThe influence of low-frequency left prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on memory for words but not faces
Author(s) -
Lucie Skrdlantová,
J Horáček,
Colleen Dockery,
Jaromír Lukavský,
Miloslav Kopeček,
Marek Preiss,
Tomáš Novák,
Cyril Höschl
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.930667
Subject(s) - transcranial magnetic stimulation , recall , psychology , neuroscience , prefrontal cortex , cognition , dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , semantic memory , working memory , cognitive psychology , stimulation , audiology , medicine
Brain imaging studies suggest localization of verbal working memory in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) while face processing and memory is localized in the inferior temporal cortex and other brain areas. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of left DLPFC low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on verbal recall and face recognition. The study revealed a significant decrease of free recall in word encoding under rTMS (110% of motor threshold, 0.9 Hz) in comparison with sham stimulation (p=0.03), while no significant difference was found with facial memory tests. Our findings support the essential role of the left DLPFC in word but not facial memory and confirm the content specific arrangement of cortical areas involved in semantic memory. As a non-invasive tool, rTMS is useful for cognitive brain mapping and the functional localization of the category specific memory system.