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Combining tDCS and Working Memory Training to Down Regulate State Rumination: A Single-Session Double Blind Sham-Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Rumination has been associated with reduced working memory and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity. This study explored whether single session anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and/or working memory training can transiently ameliorate working memory and down regulate state rumination. Sixty-six participants were randomly allocated to three conditions: (1) control training + tDCS, (2) working memory training + sham tDCS and (3) working memory training + tDCS. Before and after manipulation participants performed working memory tasks and state rumination was measured with self-report and heart rate variability. Participants who received real tDCS were significantly faster in switching between information in working memory than participants who received sham tDCS. No effects on self-reported state rumination were found. However, both groups receiving working memory training showed a higher increase in heart rate variability than the control training group, indicating more adaptive self-regulation.

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Notes

  1. Analysis based on correct trials only did not alter the conclusions.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Grant of the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Ghent University (B/13811/01). Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt is a postdoctoral fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (FWO08/PDO/168). This research was also supported by the Ghent University Multidisciplinary Research Partnership “The integrative neuroscience of behavioural control”. The authors would like to thank Yentl Van den Broeck for her assistance with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Laura M. S. De Putter, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, Rudi De Raedt & Ernst H. W. Koster

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

    Chris Baeken

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital UZBrussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Chris Baeken

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  1. Laura M. S. De Putter
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Correspondence to Laura M. S. De Putter.

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Laura M. S. De Putter, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, Chris Baeken, Rudi De Raedt and Ernst H. W. Koster declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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The present study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Ghent University Hospital. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of this responsible committee on experiments involving human participants.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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De Putter, L.M.S., Vanderhasselt, MA., Baeken, C. et al. Combining tDCS and Working Memory Training to Down Regulate State Rumination: A Single-Session Double Blind Sham-Controlled Trial. Cogn Ther Res 39, 754–765 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-015-9710-8

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