A pilot study investigating the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on the electrophysiological correlates of working memory in patients with schizophrenia

Sun-Young Moon; Minah Kim; Wu Jeong Hwang; Tae Young Lee; Jun Soo Kwon

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.014

A pilot study investigating the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on the electrophysiological correlates of working memory in patients with schizophrenia

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2019 Feb 28:284:9-12. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.014. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Authors

Sun-Young Moon¹, Minah Kim¹, Wu Jeong Hwang², Tae Young Lee³, Jun Soo Kwon⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 101 Daehak-no, Chongno-gu, 03080 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 101 Daehak-no, Chongno-gu, 03080 Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kwonjs@snu.ac.kr.

PMID: 30622048
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.014

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) exerts pro-cognitive effects in various populations. We evaluated the effect of tDCS on cognitive performance and its electrophysiological correlates in schizophrenia patients. Ten participants received 10 sessions of tDCS and performed cognitive performance tasks; error-related negativity and correct response negativity (CRN) were measured before and after tDCS. Verbal performance was improved by tDCS and strongly correlated with a reduced CRN amplitude. Despite the lack of sham control design and possible practice effects of cognitive tasks, we might conclude that CRN could be a modifiable electrophysiological correlate of cognitive improvement by tDCS.

Keywords: Correct response negativity (CRN); Error-related negativity (ERN); Event-related potential (ERP); Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS); Working memory.

Publication types

Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cognition
Female
Humans
Male
Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
Middle Aged
Pilot Projects
Schizophrenia / physiopathology*
Schizophrenic Psychology*
Task Performance and Analysis*
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*