Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination
Abstract The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive negative self-referential thoughts that perpetuate depressive mood) is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex...
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2021-06-01
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90677-7 |
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doaj-b246c1ecabd245b7b5d33d07bd8439d62021-06-06T11:37:55ZengNature Publishing GroupScientific Reports2045-23222021-06-0111111410.1038/s41598-021-90677-7Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical ruminationJens Allaert0Rudi De Raedt1Frederik M. van der Veen2Chris Baeken3Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt4Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent)Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University RotterdamDepartment of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent)Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent)Abstract The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive negative self-referential thoughts that perpetuate depressive mood) is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The goal of this study was to investigate whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC, in function of self-critical rumination tendencies, momentarily reduces counterfactual thinking and regret (assessed via self-report and psychophysiological indices). Eighty healthy participants with different levels of self-critical rumination received either anodal or sham tDCS while performing a decision making task in which they were repeatedly confronted with optimal, suboptimal, and non-optimal choice outcomes. The results showed that among rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with decreased CFT and attenuated psychophysiological reactivity to the differential choice outcomes. Conversely, among low rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with increased CFT and regret, but in absence of any effects on psychophysiological reactivity. Potential working mechanisms for these differential tDCS effects are discussed. Taken together, these results provide initial converging evidence for the adaptive effects of left prefrontal tDCS on CFT and regret to personal choice outcomes among individuals prone to engage in self-critical rumination.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90677-7 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jens Allaert Rudi De Raedt Frederik M. van der Veen Chris Baeken Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt |
spellingShingle |
Jens Allaert Rudi De Raedt Frederik M. van der Veen Chris Baeken Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination Scientific Reports |
author_facet |
Jens Allaert Rudi De Raedt Frederik M. van der Veen Chris Baeken Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt |
author_sort |
Jens Allaert |
title |
Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
title_short |
Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
title_full |
Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
title_fullStr |
Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
title_full_unstemmed |
Prefrontal tDCS attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
title_sort |
prefrontal tdcs attenuates counterfactual thinking in female individuals prone to self-critical rumination |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
series |
Scientific Reports |
issn |
2045-2322 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
Abstract The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive negative self-referential thoughts that perpetuate depressive mood) is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The goal of this study was to investigate whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC, in function of self-critical rumination tendencies, momentarily reduces counterfactual thinking and regret (assessed via self-report and psychophysiological indices). Eighty healthy participants with different levels of self-critical rumination received either anodal or sham tDCS while performing a decision making task in which they were repeatedly confronted with optimal, suboptimal, and non-optimal choice outcomes. The results showed that among rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with decreased CFT and attenuated psychophysiological reactivity to the differential choice outcomes. Conversely, among low rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with increased CFT and regret, but in absence of any effects on psychophysiological reactivity. Potential working mechanisms for these differential tDCS effects are discussed. Taken together, these results provide initial converging evidence for the adaptive effects of left prefrontal tDCS on CFT and regret to personal choice outcomes among individuals prone to engage in self-critical rumination. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90677-7 |
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