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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and low-frequency TMS (lfTMS) have been demonstrated to be major contributors to brain literature. Here we highlight the methods for investigating the cortical correlates of self-deception using TMS.
Neuroimaging is typically perceived as a resource demanding discipline. While this is the case in certain circumstances, institutions with limited resources have historically contributed significantly to the field of neuroscience, including neuroimaging. In the study of self-deception, we have successfully employed single-pulse TMS to determine the brain correlates of abilities including overclaiming and self-enhancement. Even without the use of neuro-navigation, methods provided here lead to successful outcomes. For example, it was discovered that decreases in self-deceptive responding lead to a decrease in affect. These methods provide data that are reliable and valid, and such methods provide research opportunities otherwise unavailable. Through the use of these methods, the overall knowledge base in the field of neuroscience is expanded, providing research opportunities to students such as those at our institution (Montclair State University is a Hispanic-Serving Institute) who are often denied such research experiences.
There are a number of challenges to investigating brain-behavior correlates at research institutions with limited resources (often referred to as 'teaching universities'). According to data provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), almost all academic research is completed by a small percentage of higher education institutions in the United States. When examining over 4,400 post-secondary degree-granting institutions, the top 115 universities/institutes perform and publish 75% of all research1. In the United States, there are 131 research 1 (R1: The highest status level a university can achieve in terms of research ranking) universities which receive the bulk of federal funding.
This top-heavy funding disparity limits research options for many principal investigators as well as students; for example, only 1.9% of R1 universities are Hispanic-Serving institutes. Further, non-R1 institutes are limited in terms of research space, grants awarded, and time made available for research, and these schools often do not have medical school affiliations2. Given these obstacles, we provide the methods that have successfully allowed for the investigation of brain-behavior relationships in deception in a resource limited environment. While these methods are suitable for any institute, we believe that those at smaller/teaching intensive universities will receive the maximum benefit from these methods.
Our laboratory has focused primarily on the brain regions responsible for producing self-deception and self-enhancement. Establishing causation in terms of the underlying cortical regions is achievable by a number of techniques, and these data help confirm correlative neuroimaging methods and experimental patient trials3,4,5.
To investigate self-deception with causal neuroimaging techniques, a number of innovative methods have been employed, mainly with single pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and repetitive TMS (rTMS6; Figure 1). While tDCS (transcranial Direct Cortical Stimulation) has been employed successfully7 and can be modified to replicate the methods, procedures, and results presented here, the flexibility of TMS still makes it the optimal choice for the neuromodulation of self-deception. At its most common implementation, researchers inhibit, excite, disrupt, or measure cortical excitability (not covered here, but see reference8).
The Medial Prefrontal Cortex (MPFC) appears to be involved in self-deceptive responding9. Given the role of the Cortical Midline Structures (CMS) in terms of self-awareness in general10, it is not surprising that self-deception is correlated with MPFC activity. To determine causation in terms of frontal regions, TMS was relied on to create 'virtual lesions' while measuring bouts of self-deception11. Measuring self-deception has been achieved via two main methods: Self-enhancement and overclaiming6.
We have found that disruption of the MPFC leads to the reduction of self-deception6,8,11,12,13. Furthermore, we have discovered that such a reduction (i.e., the lowering of self-deception) is related to a decrease in a person's affect (i.e., negative mood increases and positive mood decreases).
Because neuro-navigation/individual MRI's are not employed (due to expense, most laboratories do not have these resources), concern may be raised over positioning and accuracy in TMS targeting. We have compensated for this by occasionally doing fiducial procedures in which a contrast target (e.g., a vitamin E tablet) is placed on the cap and the participant(s) is/are subsequently scanned in a structural MRI11,12. These methods have confirmed the accuracy of the methods outlined here, and we are targeting the medial aspect of the MPFC at the border of BA 10/9 which lies above the Medial Frontal Gyrus (0, ~40, ~30).
Clearly, higher spatial resolution can be obtained using other methods such as neuro-navigation, however, these methods are not employed without drawbacks which include participant drop-out, participant exclusion, increased length of experimental duration, additional training and screening, added expense and often multiple site visits for participants. Therefore, the methods presented here offer an excellent alternative to neuro-navigation in many circumstances.
The research presented here was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee of Montclair State University. All participants have been treated within the ethical guidelines of the APA.
1. Participants
2. TMS equipment handling
3. COVID - 19
4. Motor threshold
5. Active single-pulse TMS
6. Presentation
Figure 2, from Taylor-Lilquist et al.14, involved four brain sites: MPFC, SMA, PZ, and a Sham site. These sites were utilized to determine the correlates of overclaiming. Overclaiming is a participant indicating that they know a word when it is actually not a word. 12 participants were tested in both social and non-social settings. The social settings represented pressure to either know a word (high-social pressure; n=6) or not know a word (low-social pressure; n=6). ...
The protocol (and variations of) outlined here has been used in over 50 studies at Montclair State University. The entire set-up can be created for under $15,000 (US). Further, we have found our coordinates match well with underlying brain structures using fiducial procedures.
Variations of this method are often used. For example, control conditions can include stimulating different brain areas, applying TMS different timings (i.e, apply TMS at a timing that should have no effect), using ...
None
LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation), Wehner, and The Crawford Foundation, the Kessler Foundation are all thanked for their support.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
Android Samsung Tablet (for MEPs) | Samsung | SM-T500NZSAXAR | |
Cloth Measuring Tape | GDMINLO | B08TWNCDNS(AMZ) | |
Figure of 8 Copper TMS Coil | Magstim | 4150-00 | This is the current model |
Lenovo T490 Laptop | Lenovo | 20RY0002US | |
Magstim 200 Single Pulse | MagStim | Magstim200/2 | This is the current model |
Magstim Standard Coil Holder | MagStim | AFC/SS | This is the current model |
Speedo Swim Caps | Speedo | 751104-100 | |
Testable.Org Account and Software | Testable | NA | |
Trigno 2 Lead Sensor (for MEPs) | DelSys | SP-W06-018B | |
Trigno Base and Plot Software (for MEPs) | DelSys | DS-203-D00 |
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