![]() Furthermore, top-down modulation is crucial for object identification, especially when objects are presented from non-canonical viewpoints 21. Previous studies employing functional connectivity analysis have demonstrated that the source of top-down modulation in visual working memory involving face and scene stimuli, as well as the underlying neural activity within the visual associative cortices, resides in the prefrontal cortex, encompassing the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex 20. More specifically, top-down modulation biases the activity of lower perceptual cortices relative to the individual’s goals (e.g., to selectively attend/ignore stimuli like faces vs. It is well established that top-down modulation is a bridging neural mechanism of attention and WM 19. WM can also be described as an active and adaptive memory system consisting of multiple components including a module responsible for top-down attentional control, a module for sensory information storage, and a system for updating and manipulating the stored information. WM broadly refers to the cognitive system responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of information for use in higher-order cognitive processes, such as executive function tasks including planning, reasoning, and decision making 16, 17, 18. While the most common amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is primarily characterized by episodic memory disturbances 9, behavioral and neuropsychological research suggest that aMCI and multidomain aMCI subjects show deficits in working memory 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Working memory (WM) processes play a vital role in normal aging 7, MCI, and cognitive decline associated with dementia 8. MCI denotes a neuropsychological construct describing a transitional stage between expected normal cognitive functioning and the early stages of dementia 4, 5, as well as a cluster of diseases that are characterized by impairment in both memory and non-memory cognitive domains with preserved everyday functioning 6. This represents a huge problem because MCI often precedes Alzheimer’s disease (AD) 2, the leading cause of dementia and cognitive decline in older age 3 ultimately leading to problems in everyday functioning a introducing a significant burden to both family and caregivers. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is exceedingly prevalent in the elderly population, with prevalence rates ranging from 16 to 20% 1. Similar content being viewed by othersĬognitive decline with age and dependency is one of the most challenging problems our society faces in this century. In the study we discuss the insignificant behavioral results in the context of the current evidence in tDCS parameter space and opening the discussion of possible interference between trained cognitive tasks. The fMRI analysis revealed brain activity alterations in right insula that may be linked to tDCS-cog intervention. Additionally, the tDCS-cog did not enhance online training as predicted. ![]() Our main finding revealed no superior after-effects of tDCS-cog over the sham on VOMT among individuals with MCI as indicated by insignificant immediate and long-lasting after-effects. Using fMRI, we aimed to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the intervention effects by analyzing BOLD activations during VOMT. Secondarily, we explored whether the stimulation would augment online visual working memory training. Specifically, we focused to improve WM tasks relying on top-down attentional control and hypothesized that intensified tDCS would enhance performance of visual object matching task (VOMT) immediately after the stimulation regimen and at a 1-month follow-up. In this 5-day-long double-blinded randomized trial, we investigated the impact of intensified tDCS-cog protocol involving two trains of stimulation per day on working memory (WM) enhancement in 35 amnestic and multidomain amnestic MCI patients. ![]() Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with cognitive training (tDCS-cog) represents a promising approach to combat cognitive decline among healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). ![]()
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