经颅交流电刺激的刺激时机对工作记忆调控效果的影响

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.0827

心理学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (5): 827-839.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.0827 cstr: 32110.14.2026.0827

经颅交流电刺激的刺激时机对工作记忆调控效果的影响

郭芮巧¹⁺, 李雯瑞²⁺, 郭雪³, 赵娜⁴, 雷鸣⁵, 刘强¹

¹四川师范大学脑与心理科学研究院, 成都 610066;
²比利时列日大学认知心理与神经科学研究中心, 列日 4000;
³德国乔治-奥古斯特大学哥廷根大学医学中心, 哥廷根 37075;
⁴辽宁师范大学脑与认知神经科学研究中心, 大连 116029;
⁵西南交通大学心理研究与咨询中心, 成都 611756

收稿日期:2025-03-18 发布日期:2026-03-04 出版日期:2026-05-25
通讯作者: 刘强, E-mail: lq780614@163.com
作者简介:郭芮巧和李雯瑞为共同一作
基金资助:
四川省科技软科项目(四川省社科基金委托项目) (SCJJ25RKX105); 教育部高校思想政治工作队伍培训研修中心(西南交通大学)2023年度开放课题(SWJTUUKF23-15)。

The impact of tACS stimulation timing on the modulation of working memory

GUO Ruiqiao¹, LI Wenrui², GUO Xue³, ZHAO Na⁴, LEI Ming⁵, LIU Qiang¹

¹Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China;
²Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Place de Orateurs 4000 Liège, Belgium;
³Non-InvasiveBrain Stimulation Lab, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075 German;
⁴Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Liaoning Normal University, Liaoning 116029 China;
⁵Psychological Research and Counseling Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China

Received:2025-03-18 Online:2026-03-04 Published:2026-05-25

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 尽管经颅交流电刺激(transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation, tACS)可通过调节认知资源提升工作记忆(working memory, WM)表现, 但其效果在现有研究中并不一致。本研究发现, tACS刺激施加于任务的时机是决定WM调控效果的关键调节变量。通过两项严格设计的实验, 我们揭示tACS对WM调控效果受刺激与任务的时序影响：在实验1中, 相比于假刺激, 练习前施加theta频段tACS (4 Hz, 右顶叶)显著提升记忆数量且保持精度不变; 而于练习后施加刺激, 个体对任务的数量-精度权衡策略已形成, 在心理惯性的影响下该策略得以延续, 即与假刺激相比, tACS刺激选择性提高记忆精度而不改变数量。实验2进一步发现, 刺激时序对权衡策略的影响不会迁移到新任务中, 即被试在第一个任务中形成的策略在新任务中会被打破：面对新场景, 个体会根据任务特点与自身资源总量形成新的策略, 表明认知资源的灵活再分配。因此, 我们得出结论：tACS刺激对WM的调控效果取决于刺激施加的时机, 若在练习前施加, 则主要影响记忆数量; 若在练习后施加, 则主要影响记忆精度; 但已形成的调控效果不会迁移到新任务中。

关键词: tACS, 工作记忆, 精度-数量权衡, 4Hz theta, 心理惯性

Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that tACS can expand cognitive resources, thereby improving working memory (WM) performance, while some studies failed to observe a definitive advantage of tACS in boosting WM. Regarding this ongoing debate, this study sought to explore the effect of tACS on working memory by involving the factor of psychological inertia. Psychological inertia refers to the unconscious, automatic behavior of an individual. The conflict between psychological inertia and rational decision-making could lead to a loss of optimal choice.
In Experiment 1, 36 participants completed a color recall reporting task. Active or sham tACS was applied before or after practice to manipulate the amount of memory resources at the initial stage. The results confirmed our hypothesis that participants who received active tACS after practice (post-practice) adopted similar memory strategies to those receiving sham stimulation due to a psychological inertia. They exhibited a trade-off between quantity and quality, i.e., post-practice tACS could boost memory accuracy with comparable quantity; while pre-practice stimulation improved memory quantity with comparable accuracy.
To investigate whether the regulatory effects of the first task would carry over to the second task, 56 participants completed both color and orientation recall reporting tasks in Experiment 2, where tACS stimulation was applied after the practice of the first task. The results revealed that memory accuracy was improved while the quantity was unchanged in the first task, which is consistent with the results from the group receiving post-ptactice tACS in Experiment 1. However, the memory quantity was enhanced and the accuracy was kept unchanged in the second task, consisting with the results of pre-practice tACS in Experiment 1. This indicates that, psychological inertia can be disrupted in new situations, leading to new strategies.
The regulatory effects of tACS on WM are modulated by the timing of stimulation. That is, pre-practice tACS influences the memory quantity, and post-practice tACS affects memory accuracy. Furthermore, the regulatory effects that were established during the first task may be disrupted when encountering a new task. These findings clarify the optimal temporal window for tACS intervention, providing a precise reference for clinical cognitive rehabilitation, such as early intervention in Alzheimer's disease.

Key words: tACS, working memory, accuracy-quantity trade-off, 4 Hz theta, psychological inertia

中图分类号:

B842

郭芮巧, 李雯瑞, 郭雪, 赵娜, 雷鸣, 刘强. (2026). 经颅交流电刺激的刺激时机对工作记忆调控效果的影响. 心理学报, 58(5), 827-839.

GUO Ruiqiao, LI Wenrui, GUO Xue, ZHAO Na, LEI Ming, LIU Qiang. (2026). The impact of tACS stimulation timing on the modulation of working memory. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 58(5), 827-839.

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经颅交流电刺激的刺激时机对工作记忆调控效果的影响

The impact of tACS stimulation timing on the modulation of working memory

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