Affiliations: Center for Interdisplinary Research in Rehabilitation
and Social Integration, Quebec City, Canada | School of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec
City, QC, Canada | CHUQ Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation,
Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
Note: [] Corresponding author: Sophie Blanchet, Center for
Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Institut
de Réadaptation en Déficience Physique de Québec, 525 Boulevard
Hamel Est, G1M 2S8 Québec (Qc), Canada. Tel.: +1 418 529 9141; Fax: +1 418
529 3548; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: This research investigated the contribution of the dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the attentional resources in episodic encoding for
both verbal and non-verbal material. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic
stimulations (TMS) were used to interfere transiently with either the left or
right DLPFC during encoding under full attention (FA) or under divided
attention (DA) in a recognition paradigm using words and random shapes.
Participants recognized fewer items after TMS over the left DLPFC than over the
right DLPFC during FA encoding. However, TMS over the left DLPFC did not impair
performance when compared to sham condition. Conversely, participants produced
fewer items after TMS over the right DLPFC in DA encoding compared to sham
condition, but not compared to TMS over the left DLPFC. These effects were
found for both words and random shapes. These results suggest that the right
DLPFC play an important role in successful encoding with a concomitant task
regardless of the type of material.
