Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Right Temporoparietal Junction Suppresses Its Functional Connectivity and Reduces Contralateral Spatial and Temporal Perception

Abstract

The temporoparietal junction plays key roles in vestibular function, motor-sensory ability, and attitude stability. Conventional approaches to studying the temporoparietal junction have drawbacks, and previous studies have focused on self-motion rather than on vestibular spatial perception. Using transcranial direct current stimulation, we explored the temporoparietal junction’s effects on vestibular-guided orientation for self-motion and vestibular spatial perception. Twenty participants underwent position, motion, and time tasks, as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. In the position task, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation yielded a significantly lower response in the −6, −7, −8, −9, −10, −11, and −12 stimulus conditions for leftward rotations (P < 0.05). In the time task, the temporal bias for real transcranial direct current stimulation significantly differed from that for sham stimulation (P < 0.01). Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation suppressed functional connectivity between the temporoparietal junction, right insular cortex, and right supplementary motor area. Moreover, the change in connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction seed and the right insular cortex was positively correlated with temporal bias under stimulation. The above mentioned results show that cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation induces immediate and extended vestibular effects, which could suppress the functional connectivity of the temporoparietal junction and in turn reduce contralateral spatial and temporal perception. The consistent variation in temporal and spatial bias suggested that the temporoparietal junction may be the cortical temporal integrator for the internal model. Moreover, transcranial direct current stimulation could modulate the integration process and may thus have potential clinical applications in vestibular disorders caused by temporoparietal junction dysfunction.

Spaceflight alters reaction time and duration judgment of astronauts

“…This brain area has been shown to be involved in time interval judgments and timing (Bosco et al, 2008;Davis et al, 2009). Lesion of the right TPJ or transcranial direct current stimulation of the right TPJ in healthy subjects were found to impair their spatial and temporal perception (Kaski et al, 2016;Dalong et al, 2021). Patients with right temporal resection lesions also present an acceleration in their internal clock during time production tasks (Pouthas and Perbal, 2004).…”

Neuromodulation of the right temporoparietal junction alters amygdala functional connectivity to authority pressure

“…In a recent tDCS study of moral judgments, Sellaro et al ( 2015 ), respectively placed stimulant and return electrodes at the rTPJ and the left supraorbital area, where both regions were considered of great importance in mediating belief attribution for moral judgments. Thus, tDCS can mimic minor TPJ lesions and help delineate the TPJ's functions (Dalong et al, 2021 ; Stewart et al, 2001 ; Zito, Anderegg, et al, 2020 ).…”

Symptom-severity-related brain connectivity alterations in functional movement disorders

“…Carefully selected tasks, individualized neuronavigation, and more targeted and focal TPJ stimulation should be a priority in future studies. Using neurophysiological or imaging techniques either concurrently or pre-post stimulation will help to assess broader distributed effects of non-invasive brain stimulation ( Dalong et al, 2021 ) along with behavioral outcomes.…”