Differential Effects of Cerebellar tDCS on Sequential Mentalizing
The Cerebellum, vol. 24, pp. 123
Abstract
The cerebellum has been increasingly recognized for its role in social cognition, particularly in mentalizing processes. A way to measure mentalizing is the picture sequencing task, a well-established measure of social action sequencing during mentalizing of other’s beliefs. Recent studies have shown that cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation can affect social sequence processing in adults, however, the effects of different types of stimulation remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of a novel and more focal montage of cerebellar tDCS on the picture sequencing task in healthy adults. Using a within-participant design, 35 participants completed three sessions in which they underwent anodal, cathodal, and sham stimulation (in a counterbalanced order). Results revealed that participants were consistently slower on sequences that required complex mentalizing compared to well-known social situations and non-social events. Anodal tDCS significantly speeded up reaction times from the second session (indicating an improvement in performance), sham tDCS showed the same improvement in the third session (indicating general improved familiarity with the task), while cathodal tDCS did not change performance. This interaction between stimulation type and session suggests that anodal tDCS may accelerate sequence learning, while cathodal tDCS may inhibit it. Accuracy results reflected a similar pattern, with improvements over time driven by the stimulation-learning interaction. In conclusion, cerebellar tDCS modulates performance with anodal stimulation enhancing processing speed and learning. More importantly, the interaction between the different types of stimulation and learning reinforces the importance of the cerebellum in social learning processes.
Authors 10
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Beatriz Catoira corresponding
Vrije Universiteit Brussel · Ghent University · Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry (UZ Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. beatriz.catoira@vub.be
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. beatriz.catoira@vub.be
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Ghent University · Federico II University Hospital · University of Naples Federico II
Affiliation as printed
Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences, and Dentistry, Section of Psychiatry, University School of Medicine Federico II, Naples, Italy
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel · Ghent University · Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry (UZ Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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