Prior studies have demonstrated that aspects of social cognition can be modulated via temporoparietal junction (TPJ) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). However, this technique lacks focality and electrophysiological effects or correlates are rarely examined. The present study investigated whether anodal and/or cathodal high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) would influence facial emotion processing performance relative to sham stimulation, and whether task performance changes were related to neurophysiological changes. Participants completed a facial emotion attribution tasks before and after rTPJ HD-tDCS, with event-related potentials (ERP) recorded during task performance. Anodal rTPJ HD-tDCS improved facial emotion processing performance for static depictions of fear (but not surprise). Stimulation condition influenced P300 latency, and also influenced the relationship between behavioural and electrophysiological (ERP) outcomes in several circumstances, findings which both support and challenge anodal-excitation/cathodal-inhibition accounts of tDCS effects. Results suggest that rTPJ anodal HD-tDCS can influence facial emotion recognition (i.e., affective mentalizing), and elucidate the nature and distribution of underlying neurophysiological processes. Stimulation effects, however, might depend on the intensity and salience/valence (negativity/threat) of the emotion, and these behavioural effects may not relate directly or simply to the ERPs assessed here.

先前的研究表明，可以通过颞顶连接（TPJ）经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）来调节社会认知的各个方面。然而，该技术缺乏聚焦性，并且很少检查电生理效应或相关性。本研究调查了阳极和/或阴极高清tDCS（HD-tDCS）是否会相对于假刺激刺激面部情绪处理性能，以及任务性能的变化是否与神经生理学变化有关。参加者完成了rTPJ HD-tDCS之前和之后的面部情感归因任务，并在任务执行期间记录了与事件相关的电位（ERP）。阳极rTPJ HD-tDCS改进了针对静态恐惧（但并不奇怪）的面部表情处理性能。刺激条件影响了P300的潜伏期，并且在某些情况下还影响了行为和电生理（ERP）结果之间的关系，这些发现支持并挑战了tDCS效应对阳极激发/阴极抑制的影响。结果表明，rTPJ阳极HD-tDCS可以影响面部情绪识别（即情感性思维），并阐明潜在的神经生理过程的性质和分布。但是，刺激效果可能取决于情感的强度和显着性/效价（负性/威胁），并且这些行为效果可能与此处评估的ERP并不直接或简单相关。结果表明，rTPJ阳极HD-tDCS可以影响面部情绪识别（即情感性思维），并阐明潜在的神经生理过程的性质和分布。但是，刺激效果可能取决于情感的强度和显着性/效价（负性/威胁），并且这些行为效果可能与此处评估的ERP并不直接或简单相关。结果表明，rTPJ阳极HD-tDCS可以影响面部情绪识别（即情感性思维），并阐明潜在的神经生理过程的性质和分布。但是，刺激效果可能取决于情感的强度和显着性/效价（负性/威胁），并且这些行为效果可能与此处评估的ERP并不直接或简单相关。