DLPFC-ACC target engagement during chronometric interleaved TMS-fMRI predicts task performance
Poster No:
73
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Ella Teuscher1, Sarah Grosshagauer2, Michael Woletz2, Maria Vasileiadi3, Rostyslav Samonov1, Lena Nohava2, Onisim Soanca2, Anna-Lisa Schuler4, Nolan Williams5, Martin Tik6
Institutions:
1Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, 2Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 3Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, 4Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzip, Germany, 5Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 6Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Vienna
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Maria Vasileiadi
Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Introduction:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) has been shown to increase cognitive performance (Bagherzadeh et al., 2016). Although the gold-standard depression treatment target, i.e. sgACC anticorrelated DLPFC targets could potentially lead to improved performance, to our knowledge this has not been directly tested. Evidence to support this would demonstrate that sgACC modulation not only is an effective treatment for depression but enhances memory and between-subject differences in performance post TMS could be associated with activations in these brain areas.
Methods:
In this study, we used interleaved TMS-fMRI during a working memory task to assess whether activations in the dlPFC and the anticorrelated sgACC are related to increased performance in response to TMS. Seventeen healthy subjects (8 female, aged 18-38) performed the N-back task during interleaved TMS-fMRI. First-level analyses were performed as in Grosshagauer et al., 2024. In short, after preprocessing, regressors were defined for each task/stimulation condition. Linear regression was performed at each voxel using generalized least squares with a global approximate AR(1) autocorrelation model,drift fit with Discrete Cosine Transform basis (128s cut-off). The resulting first-level beta maps were regressed against the individual task performance (normalised mean reaction time, RT), as implemented in SPM12.
Results:
Whole-brain level regression analysis (p = 0.001, k=10) revealed an association between reaction time and modulation of the sgACC during 2-back trials (peak: -6 46 -4 mm; T = 4.68, punc. = 0.001, see Fig. 1) that was contrary to our hypothesis. Stronger sgACC activation, correlates with increased performance in the working memory task. For TMS in 0-back trials increased activations in the dlPFC (peak: -42 30 16 mm; T = 6.25, punc. = 0.010, see Fig. 2) predicts slower response while the accuracy of 100% did not change. Further regions include supramarginal gyrus (SMG; peak: 60, -42, 38 mm; T = 4.62, punc. = 0.001).
Conclusions:
Together, between-subject differences in task performance measured by reaction time during a working memory task in response to TMS stimulation are associated with certain brain activation patterns. Changes in task performance in response to TMS depend on the task difficulty. Higher cognitive functions as required for the 2-back condition are hindered by sgACC projection, more basic visual processing (i.e. 0-back task) seems to be delayed if dlPFC activation increases due to stimulation. Importantly, measuring neural target engagement during task processing, as enabled by our chronometric TMS-fMRI approach, might enable further personalization of stimulation parameters to enhance efficacy.
Brain Stimulation:
TMS 1
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Executive Function, Cognitive Control and Decision Making
Learning and Memory:
Working Memory
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
BOLD fMRI 2
Multi-Modal Imaging
Keywords:
Cognition
fMRI CONTRAST MECHANISMS
FUNCTIONAL MRI
HIGH FIELD MR
Memory
NORMAL HUMAN
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Other - TMS-fMRI
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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Please indicate below if your study was a "resting state" or "task-activation” study.
Healthy subjects only or patients (note that patient studies may also involve healthy subjects):
Was this research conducted in the United States?
Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Grosshagauer, S., Woletz, M., Vasileiadi, M., Linhardt, D., Nohava, L., Schuler, A., Windischberger, C., Williams, N., & Tik, M. (2024). Chronometric TMS-fMRI of personalized left dorsolateral prefrontal target reveals state-dependency of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex effects. Molecular Psychiatry, 29(9), 2678–2688. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02535-3