PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jana Klaus
AU  - Dennis J.L.G. Schutter
TI  - The Role of Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Language Processing
AID  - 10.1101/230557
DP  - 2017 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 230557
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/12/07/230557.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/12/07/230557.full
AB  - In addition to the role of left frontotemporal areas in language processing, there is increasing evidence that language comprehension and production require control and working memory resources involving the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the left DLPFC in both language comprehension and production. In a double-blind, sham-controlled crossover experiment, thirty-two participants received cathodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left DLPFC while performing a language comprehension and a language production task. Results showed that cathodal tDCS increases reaction times in the language comprehension task, but decreases naming latencies in the language production task. Additional analyses revealed that the direction of the effect of tDCS on naming latencies varied substantially between participants, with some showing facilitation and others interference effects. Overall, our findings demonstrate that left DLPFC is part of the complex cortical network associated with language processing.