Anodal Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation Over the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Influences Emotional Face Perception.
10.1007/s12264-018-0242-6
- Author:
Li-Chuan YANG
1
;
Ping REN
1
;
Yuan-Ye MA
2
Author Information
1. Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
2. Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. yuanma0716@vip.sina.com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex;
Emotion;
Facial expression;
tDCS
- MeSH:
Adult;
Emotions;
Facial Recognition;
physiology;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
Neuropsychological Tests;
Prefrontal Cortex;
physiology;
Social Perception;
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation;
Young Adult
- From:Neuroscience Bulletin
2018;34(5):842-848
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is considered to play a crucial role in many high-level functions, such as cognitive control and emotional regulation. Many studies have reported that the DLPFC can be activated during the processing of emotional information in tasks requiring working memory. However, it is still not clear whether modulating the activity of the DLPFC influences emotional perception in a detection task. In the present study, using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), we investigated (1) whether modulating the right DLPFC influences emotional face processing in a detection task, and (2) whether the DLPFC plays equal roles in processing positive and negative emotional faces. The results showed that anodal tDCS over the right DLPFC specifically facilitated the perception of positive faces, but did not influence the processing of negative faces. In addition, anodal tDCS over the right primary visual cortex enhanced performance in the detection task regardless of emotional valence. Our findings suggest, for the first time, that modulating the right DLPFC influences emotional face perception, especially faces showing positive emotion.
