Project Details
Projekt
Cross-cortical implementation of spatial-numerical associations revealed by transcranial direct current stimulation and near-infrared-spectroscopy
Applicant
Dr. Philipp Schroeder
Subject Area
Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
Term
from 2019 to 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 418004780
Fronto-parietal networks are critically involved in numerical cognition in general and spatial-numerical associations in specific. The modulation of numerical processing by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over different cortical regions provides insights into their shared and distinct neurocognitive causal networks. Previous stimulation studies were apparently specific to cathodal tDCS of the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) for modulation spatial-numerical associations, but regional specificity was not clear. The present project systematically disentangles effects of different electrode configurations and varies both target and return electrode positions to obtain regional specificity. WP1 will investigate the causal contributions of different network sites involved in numerical magnitude (distance effect) and spatial-numerical processing (SNARC effect) in magnitude comparison tasks, and contrast these effects to response inhibition functions (control task). In WP2, imaging of cortical hemodynamic activity with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) concurrent to tDCS can enlighten the immediate physiological effects of tDCS interactions with spatial-numerical associations. The hemodynamic measurements are anticipated to demonstrate cross-cortical responses to prefrontal tDCS in posterior parietal cortex due to the fronto-parietal numerical processing network. Results corroborate the neuronal implementation of numerical magnitude processing and spatial-numerical associations in humans, and basic principles of tDCS effects in numerical cognition.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
