Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation can accelerate stress recovery: A repetitive transcranial stimulation study

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, a single high‐frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF‐rTMS) session was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) after a moderate‐to‐intense stressor to investigate whether left DLPFC stimulation could regulate cortisol concentration after stress induction. Participants were randomly divided into three groups (stress‐TMS, stress, and placebo‐stress). Stress was induced in both the stress‐TMS and stress groups using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The placebo‐stress group received a placebo TSST. In the stress‐TMS group, a single HF‐rTMS session was applied over the left DLPFC after TSST. Cortisol was measured across the different groups, and each group's responses to the stress‐related questionnaire were recorded. After TSST, both the stress‐TMS and stress groups reported increased self‐reported stress, state anxiety, negative affect, and cortisol concentration compared with the placebo‐stress group, indicating that TSST successfully induced a stress response. Compared with the stress group, the stress‐TMS group exhibited reduced cortisol levels at 0, 15, 30, and 45 min after HF‐rTMS. These results suggest that left DLPFC stimulation after stress induction might accelerate the stress recovery.