The Distinct Roles of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Cognitive Control: Evidence From Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation

Correlational evidence has accumulated on the distinct roles of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in cognitive control. However, causal evidence, especially regarding the dACC, is lacking. One of the main reasons is the limited focality and penetration depth of the conventional transcranial stimulation methods in targeting deep brain regions. This study aims to provide evidence for the dlPFC and dACC's roles in cognitive control using a novel transcranial stimulation method, i.e., temporal interference (TI) stimulation. By comparing pre- and post-stimulation effects on the conflict effect (CE) across individuals with different levels of working memory capacity (WMC), we seek to elucidate the differential impact of stimulating these brain regions and their interaction with WMC in enhancing cognitive control abilities. Cognitive control was assessed using the CE in a Stroop task. The study compared the pre- and post-stimulation effects of TI stimulation (dlPFC, dACC, and sham) on CE among individuals with varying levels of WMC. The results showed that dACC stimulation enhanced cognitive control regardless of WMC, while dlPFC stimulation improved control only in low WMC individuals. Distinct effects of dlPFC and dACC stimulation on cognitive control in varying WMC levels support the hypothesis that they play differing roles. TI stimulation shows promise for enhancing cognitive control.