Journal Article

DZNE-2025-00850

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Identification of Reliable Target Brain Regions for Enhancing Object-Location Memory by Brain Stimulation.

Abdelmotaleb, M. ; Niemann, F. ; Kocataş, H. ; Caisachana Guevara, L. M. ; Shahbabaie, A. ; Malinowski, R. ; Riemann, S. ; Fromm, A. E. ; Hayek, D.Extern* ; Antonenko, D. ; Meinzer, M. ; Flöel, A. (Last author)DZNE*

2025
Wiley Malden, Mass.

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1002/brb3.70658

Abstract: Object-location memory (OLM) is essential for remembering the locations of objects within an environment and is often impaired in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown promise for improving OLM, although study outcomes have varied considerably. This study aimed to identify key brain regions involved in OLM that may serve as stimulation targets for future tDCS research and to assess the test-retest reliability (TRR) of both behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.Twenty healthy young adults (10 females; mean age = 25.0 years, standard deviation [SD] = 5.56) completed two task-based fMRI sessions using parallel versions of an OLM task. Participants learned associations between house images and their locations on a two-dimensional street map across four feedback-based learning stages. Sham tDCS was administered in both sessions using a focal 3 × 1 electrode montage. TRR was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for behavioral performance and task-related fMRI activation.Behavioral data showed significant improvements in response accuracy (estimate = 0.211, p < 0.001) and a reduction in response latency (estimate = -0.050, p < 0.001) across learning stages. fMRI analysis revealed predominantly right-lateralized activation, including the right hippocampus, the fusiform gyrus, the precuneus, and the lateral temporo-occipital areas. Behavioral measures showed moderate to good TRR (accuracy ICC = 0.801; reaction time ICC = 0.705). Task-related fMRI activity demonstrated good-to-excellent TRR in key regions, including the fusiform and temporo-occipital cortices.These findings support the validity of our OLM paradigm for assessing brain stimulation effects and highlight potential cortical targets for future tDCS interventions. The observed reliability of behavioral and neural measures further reinforces the utility of this protocol in crossover study designs.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: methods (MeSH) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging: methods (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Adult (MeSH) ; Young Adult (MeSH) ; Brain: physiology (MeSH) ; Brain: diagnostic imaging (MeSH) ; Reproducibility of Results (MeSH) ; Brain Mapping: methods (MeSH) ; Spatial Memory: physiology (MeSH) ; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ; object–location memory (OLM) ; test–retest reliability (TRR) ; transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Dementia Prevention – Mechanisms and Clinical Implementation (AG Flöel)

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)

Appears in the scientific report 2025

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