Improvement of Selective Attention Using rTMS in Healthy Individuals

Previous research have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) enhances individuals’ cognitive performance. Executive function, particularly selective attention, is one of the fundamental parts of cognitive performances. Neuro-imaging studies indicated proved the role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in selective attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rTMS on healthy individuals’ performance executing stroop task. Thirty healthy subjects received one session of high-frequency rTMS on their left DLPFC. They were instructed to perform stroop task before and after stimulation. The results showed that response time to congruent stimuli decreased significantly in active group. No significant change was observed in incongruent trials. The findings verified the role of left DLPFC on top-down attentional control. It could be concluded that administering rTMS on individuals’ left DLPFC can result in positive effect on selective attention.