Research has shown a prominent role for cortical hyperexcitability underlying aberrant perceptions, hallucinations, and distortions in human conscious experience – even in neurotypical groups. The rVLPFC has been identified as an important structure in mediating cognitive affective states / feeling conscious states. The current study examined the involvement of the rVLPFC in mediating cognitive affective states in those predisposed to aberrant experiences in the neurotypical population. Participants completed two trait-based measures: (i) the Cortical Hyperexcitability Index_II (CHi_II, a proxy measure of cortical hyperexcitability) and (ii) two factors from the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (CDS). An optimised 7-channel MtDCS montage for stimulation conditions (Anodal, Cathodal and Sham) was created targeting the rVLPFC in a single-blind study. At the end of each stimulation session, participants completed a body-threat task (BTAB) while skin conductance responses (SCRs) and psychological responses were recorded. Participants with signs of increasing cortical hyperexcitability showed significant suppression of SCRs in the Cathodal stimulation relative to the Anodal and sSham conditions. Those high on the trait-based measures of depersonalisation-like experiences failed to show reliable effects. Collectively, the findings suggest that baseline brain states can mediate the effects of neurostimulation which would be missed via sample level averaging and without appropriate measures for stratifying individual differences.

研究表明，皮质过度兴奋在人类意识体验中的异常感知、幻觉和扭曲中发挥着重要作用——即使在神经典型群体中也是如此。rVLPFC 已被认为是调节认知情感状态/感觉意识状态的重要结构。目前的研究检查了 rVLPFC 在调节神经典型人群中易发生异常经历的认知情感状态中的作用。参与者完成了两项基于特征的测量：（i）皮质过度兴奋指数_II（CHi_II，皮质过度兴奋的替代测量）和（ii）剑桥人格解体量表（CDS）中的两个因素。在单盲研究中，针对 rVLPFC 创建了针对刺激条件（阳极、阴极和假）的优化 7 通道 MtDCS 蒙太奇。在每次刺激课程结束时，参与者完成身体威胁任务（BTAB），同时记录皮肤电导反应（SCR）和心理反应。与阳极和 sSham 条件相比，具有皮质过度兴奋迹象的参与者在阴极刺激中表现出 SCR 的显着抑制。那些基于特征的类似解体体验的测量结果较高的人未能表现出可靠的效果。总的来说，研究结果表明，基线大脑状态可以调节神经刺激的影响，而这种影响可能会通过样本水平平均而被忽略，并且如果没有适当的措施来分层个体差异。