Preliminary findings of single session of noninvansive brain stimulation over parietal lobe and performance on spatial memory task

Abstract

Spatial memory relies on efficient encoding, storage and retrieval of spatial information, which enables us to remember paths or locations of objects in everyday life. Moreover, this type of memory has been shown to decline with age and various neurodegenerative disorders. Parietal cortex has been shown to play an important role in the formation of short-term representations of spatial information. The aim of the current study was to test the possibility of immediate and long-term spatial memory enhancement, by increasing excitability of parietal posterior cortex. We used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over posterior parietal cortex in a placebo-controlled cross-over study. Participants received anodal (1.5 mA) or sham tDCS stimulation over P4 site (10-20 EEG system) for 20 minutes in two separate sessions. Immediately after stimulation, participants completed a spatial maze task, which consisted of learning block, 2D recall, and 3D recall. Spatial memory performance was tested 24 hours and 7 days after stimulation, to assess potential long-term effects. We found no significant effects of anodal stimulation on spatial memory performance either on immediate or delayed recall. This was the case with both, 2D and 3D spatial memory recall. Our results are in line with some studies that suggest that single brain stimulation sessions do not always produce effects on cognitive functions.