23. Cerebellum and attention: Eevidence from an Event-Related Potentials and transranial Direct Current Stimulation study

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology, Volume 127, Issue 12
Author(s): D. Mannarelli, C. Pauletti, M.C. De Lucia, R. Delle Chiaie, F.S. Bersani, F. Spagnoli, A. Minichino, C. Trompetto, A. Currà, F. Fattapposta
The role of the cerebellum extends beyond its traditional role in motor control. In recent years this structure has increasingly been seen as playing a crucial role also in cognitive performance and attentional processes being a subcortical structure that interacts with cortical brain areas. To investigate the role of the cerebellum in attentional processing of the stimulus, we studied the effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) delivered over the left cerebellar hemisphere on the ERPs components during a Novelty P300 task in healthy subjects. Fifteen healthy subjects underwent cathodal, anodal and sham tDCS sessions and a P300 Novelty was recorded task prior and after each tDCS session. Only cathodal cerebellar tDCS significantly reduced the amplitude and latency of the N1 component and reduced the amplitude of P3 components for both the target and novel stimuli. These results support the role for the cerebellum in the attentional processing of the stimulus. In particular, we speculate that the cerebellum acts indirectly by regulating and managing the activation and inhibition levels of the cortical areas that work in the attentional networks.



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