Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over left inferior frontal gyrus enhances sentence comprehension

作者：Giustolisi Beatrice^*; Vergallito Alessandra; Cecchetto Carlo; Varoli Erica; Lauro Leonor J Romero

来源：Brain and Language, 2018, 176: 36-41.

DOI：10.1016/j.bandl.2017.11.001

• Sentence comprehension
• tDCS
• Verbal short-term memory
• Left inferior frontal gyrus

We tested the possibility of enhancing natural language comprehension through the application of anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus, a key region for verbal short-term memory and language comprehension. We designed a between subjects sham-and task-controlled study. During tDCS stimulation, participants performed a sentence to picture matching task in which targets were sentences with different load on short-term memory. Regardless of load on short-term memory, the Anodal group performed significantly better than the Sham group, thus providing evidence that a-tDCS over LIFG enhances natural language comprehension.
To our knowledge, we apply for the first time tDCS to boost sentence comprehension.
This result is of special interest also from a clinical perspective: applying a-tDCS in patients manifesting problems at the sentence level due to brain damage could enhance the effects of behavioral rehabilitation procedures aimed to improve language comprehension.

• 出版日期2018-1