Modulating Phonological Working Memory With Anodal High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the Anterior Portion of the Supplementary Motor Area

Background: Phonological working memory is key to vocabulary acquisition, spoken word recognition, real-time language processing, and reading. Transcranial direct current stimulation, when coupled with behavioral training, has been shown to facilitate speech motor output processes, a key component of nonword repetition, the primary task used to assess phonological working memory. In this study, we examined the efficacy of combining overt nonword repetition training with anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD tDCS) to the presupplementary motor area (preSMA) to enhance nonword repetition.

Objective: This study investigated whether 20 min of active or sham anodal HD tDCS targeting preSMA concurrently with a nonword repetition task differentially impacted nonword repetition ability.

Method: Twenty-eight neurotypical college-age adults (18-25 years; 19 females, eight males, one nonbinary) completed a 20-min nonword repetition training task where they received either active or sham 1-mA anodal HD tDCS to the preSMA while overtly repeating a list of four-, five-, six-, and seven-syllable English-like nonwords presented in a random order. Whole nonword accuracy and error patterns (phoneme and syllable) were measured prior to and following training.

Results: Following training, both groups showed a decrease in nonword repetition accuracy. The drop in performance was significantly greater for the active stimulation group compared to the sham stimulation group at the four-syllable nonword length.

Discussion: The findings suggest that targeting the speech motor component of nonword repetition through overt training and HD tDCS to the preSMA does not enhance phonological working memory ability.