- Email: [email protected]
Transcranial electrical stimulation targeting vmPFC leads to increased acceptance rates in an anger-infused Ultimatum Game
e34
Abstracts / Brain Stimulation 10 (2017) e21ee45
Abstract Brain-injured patients frequently have treatment-refractory, chronic and disabling symptoms, like headache, fatigue and depression. Emerging evidence from non-brain injured individuals suggests that tDCS may be useful for reducing headache severity and frequency, boosting alertness, and improving mood. However, translation to the brain-injured population is limited by lack of clinical experience as well as safety and dosing information. A patient with history of hypertensive intraventricular hemorrhage underwent 9 months of tDCS for headache, fatigue and depression. We tracked numeric rating scale pain (NRS-P), mental fatigue (NRS-MF) and physical fatigue (NRS-PF); fatigue inventories (MFS, MFSISF); depression (PHQ-9); and suicidality (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) to assess efficacy and adjust dose. tDCS was given daily in clinic for 3 weeks (15 sessions of 2mA anodal left frontal tDCS for 30 minutes) and then monitored in weekly outpatient physiatry visits while he did daily home tDCS. Headache pain improved over 3 months (6 to 0) with daily tDCS, rebounded (5) when tDCS frequency was reduced, and resolved (0) when daily tDCS was resumed. Fatigue scales showed a similar pattern: NRS-MF and NRS-PF improved (8-9 to 4) with 3 months of daily tDCS, rebounded (7-8) with decreased frequency, and improved (3-4) when daily tDCS was resumed. Depression with daily persistent thoughts of suicidal ideation (SI) also initially improved (PHQ-9: 25 to 6-7, no SI), rebounded, and remitted with dose changes. In conclusion, home tDCS for post-brain injury headache, fatigue and depression is feasible, appears effective, but requires close monitoring for dose adjustment to manage symptoms. Abstract #49 TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION TARGETING VMPFC LEADS TO INCREASED ACCEPTANCE RATES IN AN ANGER-INFUSED ULTIMATUM GAME Gadi Gilam 1, 2,a, Rany Abend 1, 2, 5, a, Guy Gurevitch 1, 2, b, Alon Erdman 1, Halen Baker 1, Ziv Ben-Zion 1, 3, Talma Hendler 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 Tel-Aviv Center for Brain Function, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 2 School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 3 Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 4 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 5 Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Abstract Anger is experienced mostly during social interactions and may lead to aggression. In a standard Ultimatum Game (UG), two players split a sum of money between them. Unfair offers induce anger; rejecting unfair offers is associated with aggression, whereas accepting them relates to anger regulation. Therefore, the UG may serve as a paradigm to induce interpersonal anger and examine anger coping capabilities. In a recent fMRI study in which anger was further infused in the UG by interpersonal provocations we found that ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation was positively associated with offer acceptance and negatively with self-reported anger. Additional results from our lab also suggest that anodal transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) targeting the vmPFC enhanced vmPFC activation and decreased experienced negative emotions. Here, we tested whether tES targeting the vmPFC would increase acceptance of unfair offers and decrease anger. We conducted a double-blind, cross-over study (N¼25) comparing active vs. sham stimulation while participants played an anger-infused UG. Stimulation was applied concurrently with fMRI to validate the effect of stimulation on targeted regions. Results indicate that active stimulation led to increased acceptance, specifically of unfair offers, and mitigated an increase in self-reported anger a b
Equal contribution. Presenting author.
following the task. Initial fMRI analysis revealed differential patterns of vmPFC activations for unfair offers during active stimulation compared to sham. Our findings suggest a causal link between vmPFC functionality and the experience and expression of anger, supporting its role in anger regulation. This provides potential implications for neuroscience and clinical research on anger and its regulation. Abstract #50 MODELING NEURONAL POLARIZATION IN REALISTIC HEAD GEOMETRY BY CONVENTIONAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION Aman Aberra*1, Warren Grill 1, 3, 4, Angel V. Peterchev 1, 2, 3. 1 Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Duke University, NC, USA; 2 Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, NC, USA; 3 Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Duke University, NC, USA; 4 Dept. of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, NC, USA
Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has broad potential as an inexpensive, painless, and noninvasive technique to modulate brain activity for numerous research and clinical applications, but its mechanisms are still unclear. Several different electrode configurations have been developed to achieve greater focality, guided primarily by computational models of electric field distributions. However, the effects of these fields on cellular polarization have been less explored, especially considering the complexity of a realistic brain geometry. We modeled motor and sensory cortex tDCS by simulating neuronal membrane polarization in the pre- and post-central gyrus. Realistic, compartmental neuron models from the Blue Brain library were coupled to E-field simulations in a finite element head model derived from magnetic resonance images. We compared polarization generated by tDCS using either a conventional M1-SO montage with 7x5 cm sponge electrodes or a 4x1 high-definition (HD) electrode configuration placed over the motor hand-knob. The maximum field in this region was similar for both configurations: 0.50 V/m for the 4x1 HD electrodes and 0.48 V/m for the conventional design. The 4x1 HD design produced change in somatic membrane polarization ranging from -54 to 73 mV across the five cortical layers (I, II/III, IV, V, and VI), while the conventional design produced -31 to 44 mV polarization change. The conventional design produced more uniform polarization changes, but the balance of depolarization and hyperpolarization varied by layer and region for both designs. These results demonstrate the importance of considering cellular polarization in realistic neuron models when analyzing the effects of tDCS. Abstract #51 MODULATION OF CORTICAL, CORTICOSPINAL, AND SPINAL NEURONAL PATHWAYS AFTER THORACIC TRANSSPINAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION IN HEALTHY HUMANS. Behdad Tahayori 1, 2, Brittany Brown 1, Tziril Czermak 1, Man Li 1, Jan Misaylidi 1, Lynda M. Murray*1, 2, Maria Knikou 1, 2. 1 Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY, 10314, USA; 2 Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
Abstract One method to induce neuromodulation via stimulation in humans is by weak direct current delivered through the scalp or spine. While evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation results in significant changes of excitability in cortical and subcortical pathways, evidence on neuronal reorganization after non-invasive transspinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) in humans is limited. In this study, we randomly delivered anodal, cathodal, or sham tsDCS for 30 minutes over the
Abstracts / Brain Stimulation 10 (2017) e21ee45
Abstract Brain-injured patients frequently have treatment-refractory, chronic and disabling symptoms, like headache, fatigue and depression. Emerging evidence from non-brain injured individuals suggests that tDCS may be useful for reducing headache severity and frequency, boosting alertness, and improving mood. However, translation to the brain-injured population is limited by lack of clinical experience as well as safety and dosing information. A patient with history of hypertensive intraventricular hemorrhage underwent 9 months of tDCS for headache, fatigue and depression. We tracked numeric rating scale pain (NRS-P), mental fatigue (NRS-MF) and physical fatigue (NRS-PF); fatigue inventories (MFS, MFSISF); depression (PHQ-9); and suicidality (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) to assess efficacy and adjust dose. tDCS was given daily in clinic for 3 weeks (15 sessions of 2mA anodal left frontal tDCS for 30 minutes) and then monitored in weekly outpatient physiatry visits while he did daily home tDCS. Headache pain improved over 3 months (6 to 0) with daily tDCS, rebounded (5) when tDCS frequency was reduced, and resolved (0) when daily tDCS was resumed. Fatigue scales showed a similar pattern: NRS-MF and NRS-PF improved (8-9 to 4) with 3 months of daily tDCS, rebounded (7-8) with decreased frequency, and improved (3-4) when daily tDCS was resumed. Depression with daily persistent thoughts of suicidal ideation (SI) also initially improved (PHQ-9: 25 to 6-7, no SI), rebounded, and remitted with dose changes. In conclusion, home tDCS for post-brain injury headache, fatigue and depression is feasible, appears effective, but requires close monitoring for dose adjustment to manage symptoms. Abstract #49 TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION TARGETING VMPFC LEADS TO INCREASED ACCEPTANCE RATES IN AN ANGER-INFUSED ULTIMATUM GAME Gadi Gilam 1, 2,a, Rany Abend 1, 2, 5, a, Guy Gurevitch 1, 2, b, Alon Erdman 1, Halen Baker 1, Ziv Ben-Zion 1, 3, Talma Hendler 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 Tel-Aviv Center for Brain Function, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 2 School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 3 Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 4 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 5 Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Abstract Anger is experienced mostly during social interactions and may lead to aggression. In a standard Ultimatum Game (UG), two players split a sum of money between them. Unfair offers induce anger; rejecting unfair offers is associated with aggression, whereas accepting them relates to anger regulation. Therefore, the UG may serve as a paradigm to induce interpersonal anger and examine anger coping capabilities. In a recent fMRI study in which anger was further infused in the UG by interpersonal provocations we found that ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation was positively associated with offer acceptance and negatively with self-reported anger. Additional results from our lab also suggest that anodal transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) targeting the vmPFC enhanced vmPFC activation and decreased experienced negative emotions. Here, we tested whether tES targeting the vmPFC would increase acceptance of unfair offers and decrease anger. We conducted a double-blind, cross-over study (N¼25) comparing active vs. sham stimulation while participants played an anger-infused UG. Stimulation was applied concurrently with fMRI to validate the effect of stimulation on targeted regions. Results indicate that active stimulation led to increased acceptance, specifically of unfair offers, and mitigated an increase in self-reported anger a b
Equal contribution. Presenting author.
following the task. Initial fMRI analysis revealed differential patterns of vmPFC activations for unfair offers during active stimulation compared to sham. Our findings suggest a causal link between vmPFC functionality and the experience and expression of anger, supporting its role in anger regulation. This provides potential implications for neuroscience and clinical research on anger and its regulation. Abstract #50 MODELING NEURONAL POLARIZATION IN REALISTIC HEAD GEOMETRY BY CONVENTIONAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION Aman Aberra*1, Warren Grill 1, 3, 4, Angel V. Peterchev 1, 2, 3. 1 Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Duke University, NC, USA; 2 Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, NC, USA; 3 Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Duke University, NC, USA; 4 Dept. of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, NC, USA
Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has broad potential as an inexpensive, painless, and noninvasive technique to modulate brain activity for numerous research and clinical applications, but its mechanisms are still unclear. Several different electrode configurations have been developed to achieve greater focality, guided primarily by computational models of electric field distributions. However, the effects of these fields on cellular polarization have been less explored, especially considering the complexity of a realistic brain geometry. We modeled motor and sensory cortex tDCS by simulating neuronal membrane polarization in the pre- and post-central gyrus. Realistic, compartmental neuron models from the Blue Brain library were coupled to E-field simulations in a finite element head model derived from magnetic resonance images. We compared polarization generated by tDCS using either a conventional M1-SO montage with 7x5 cm sponge electrodes or a 4x1 high-definition (HD) electrode configuration placed over the motor hand-knob. The maximum field in this region was similar for both configurations: 0.50 V/m for the 4x1 HD electrodes and 0.48 V/m for the conventional design. The 4x1 HD design produced change in somatic membrane polarization ranging from -54 to 73 mV across the five cortical layers (I, II/III, IV, V, and VI), while the conventional design produced -31 to 44 mV polarization change. The conventional design produced more uniform polarization changes, but the balance of depolarization and hyperpolarization varied by layer and region for both designs. These results demonstrate the importance of considering cellular polarization in realistic neuron models when analyzing the effects of tDCS. Abstract #51 MODULATION OF CORTICAL, CORTICOSPINAL, AND SPINAL NEURONAL PATHWAYS AFTER THORACIC TRANSSPINAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION IN HEALTHY HUMANS. Behdad Tahayori 1, 2, Brittany Brown 1, Tziril Czermak 1, Man Li 1, Jan Misaylidi 1, Lynda M. Murray*1, 2, Maria Knikou 1, 2. 1 Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY, 10314, USA; 2 Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
Abstract One method to induce neuromodulation via stimulation in humans is by weak direct current delivered through the scalp or spine. While evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation results in significant changes of excitability in cortical and subcortical pathways, evidence on neuronal reorganization after non-invasive transspinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) in humans is limited. In this study, we randomly delivered anodal, cathodal, or sham tsDCS for 30 minutes over the