Mood moderates the effects of prefrontal tDCS on executive functions: A meta-analysis testing the affective state-dependency hypothesis

Background: In recent decades, numerous studies have investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive functioning. However, results of these studies frequently display inconsistency and pose challenges regarding replicability. The present work aimed at testing the hypothesis of mood as potential moderator of prefrontal tDCS effects on executive functions (EF). This hypothesis refers to the relationship between mood and EF, as well as to the association of mood with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activity. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of 11 articles where the dlPFC was stimulated with anodal tDCS, EF were measured, and mood was assessed prior to the stimulation. We then conducted a meta-regression to examine whether mood moderated the tDCS effects on EF. Results: While no significant effect of tDCS on EF emerged from the meta-analysis, the meta-regression indicated that mood plays a significant role as moderator, with greater t...