Does Change in Attention Control Mediate the Impact of tDCS on Attentional Bias for Threat? Limited Evidence from a Double-blind Sham-controlled Experiment in an Unselected Sample

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Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_2F7CABAE07B3
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Does Change in Attention Control Mediate the Impact of tDCS on Attentional Bias for Threat? Limited Evidence from a Double-blind Sham-controlled Experiment in an Unselected Sample
Journal
Psychologica Belgica
Author(s)
Coussement Charlotte, Maurage Pierre, Billieux Joël, Heeren Alexandre
ISSN
2054-670X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2019
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
59
Number
1
Pages
16-32
Language
english
Abstract
Neurocognitive models of attentional bias for threat posit that attentional bias may result from a decreased activation of the left prefrontal cortex, and especially of its dorsolateral part (dlPFC), resulting in an impaired attention control. Consequently, a transient increase of neural activity within the left dlPFC via non-invasive brain stimulation reduces attentional bias among both anxious and nonanxious participants. Yet, it is still unclear whether the impact of dlPFC activation on attentional bias is mediated by improvement in attention control. In this experiment, we sought to test this hypothesis in an unselected sample (n = 20). Accordingly, we adopted a double-blind within-subject protocol in which we delivered a single-session of anodal versus sham transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left dlPFC during the completion of a task assessing attention control. We also assessed its subsequent impact on attentional bias. Neither attention control nor attentional bias did significantly improve following anodal tDCS. Although our results do not support our main hypothesis, we believe the present null results to be particularly useful for future meta-research in the field. We also formulated a series of methodological recommendations for future research aiming at testing the tDCS-induced modification of attentional bias.
Keywords
neuromodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, attentional bias for threat, attention control, prefrontal cortex
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
10/01/2020 10:30
Last modification date
14/01/2020 19:10
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