rTMS over bilateral inferior parietal cortex induces decrement of spatial sustained attention

Abstract

Sustainedattentionisanessentialbrainfunctionthatenablesasubjecttomaintainattentionleveloverthetimeofatask.Inpreviouswork,therightinferiorparietallobe(IPL)hasbeenreportedasoneofthemainbrainregionsrelatedtosustainedattention,however,therightlateralizationofvigilance/sustainedattentionisunclearbecauseinformationaboutthenetworkforsustainedattentionistraditionallyprovidedbyneglectpatientswhotypicallyhaverightbraindamage.Here,weinvestigatedsustainedattentionbyapplyingavirtuallesiontechnique,transcranialmagneticstimulation(TMS),overtheleftandrightsuperiorparietallobe(SPL)andIPL.Weusedtwodifferenttypesofvisualsustainedattentiontasks:spatial(locationbased)andnon-spatial(featurebased).Whentheparticipantsperformedthespatialtask,repetitiveTMS(rTMS)overeithertherightorleftIPLinducedasignificantdecrementofsustainedattentioncausingaprogressiveincrementoferrorsandresponsetime.Incontrast,participants’performancewasnotchangedbyrTMSonthenon-spatialtask.Also,omissionerrors(truenegative)graduallyincreasedwithtimeonrightandleftIPLrTMSconditions,whilecommissionerrors(falsepositive)wererelativelystable.Thesefindingssuggestthatthemaintenanceofattention,especiallyintasksregardingspatiallocation,isnotuniquelylateralizedtotherightIPL,butmayalsoinvolveparticipationoftheleftIPL.