HF-rTMS over the left and right DLPFC enhances proactive cognitive control: An antisaccade and pupillometry study

HF-rTMS over the left and right DLPFC enhances proactive cognitive control: An antisaccade and pupillometry study | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Psychophysiology This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 9 July 2025 V1 Latest version Share on HF-rTMS over the left and right DLPFC enhances proactive cognitive control: An antisaccade and pupillometry study Authors : Aaron Van Boven , Viviana Verde 0000-0002-8639-9053 , Jens Allaert , Lais Razza 0000-0002-0071-0921 , Stefanie De Smet 0000-0002-3764-3734 , Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt , Chris Baeken , Stefan Duschek 0000-0002-9082-0154 , Rudi De Raedt , and Matias Pulopulos [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175206471.10907402/v1 Published Psychophysiology Version of record Peer review timeline 281 views 140 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Proactive cognitive control enables individuals to anticipate and prepare for upcoming cognitive demands. Whereas prior research highlights the involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in proactive cognitive control, the lateralization of this function remains unclear. In this single-blind, sham-controlled, within-subject, randomized preregistered study, 31 healthy participants (mean age=22.26, SD=4.01; 18 women) received, in three separate sessions, sham and active high-frequency (20hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) over the left and right DLPFC before performing a blocked version of the antisaccade task in combination with pupillometry to assess proactive cognitive control. Although preregistered analyses with saccade latency (i.e., time to initiate the first saccadic movement) did not show a significant effect of HF-rTMS, exploratory analyses with fixation latencies (i.e., time to fixate the gaze at the correct target location) in antisaccade trials were significantly shorter after both active left and right DLPFC stimulation compared to sham. Moreover, analyses accounting for tonic pupil size showed that the pupil constriction during the anticipatory phase (reflecting phasic resource allocation) was smaller after active left and right HF-rTMS (vs sham) on prosaccade trials, and a smaller pupil constriction was associated with shorter fixation latencies in antisaccade trials. Tonic pupil size, reflecting sustained resource allocation, was significantly larger after left DLPFC stimulation and was associated with longer saccade and fixation latencies after sham, but not active stimulation. These findings provide important evidence that helps reconcile mixed results in the field by supporting the involvement of both left and right DLPFC in proactive cognitive control via the regulation of anticipatory allocation of cognitive resources. Supplementary Material File (manuscript.docx) Download 377.40 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 09 July 2025 Peer review timeline Published Psychophysiology Version of Record 16 Feb 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Psychophysiology Authors Affiliations Aaron Van Boven Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Viviana Verde 0000-0002-8639-9053 Universitat zu Lubeck View all articles by this author Jens Allaert Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Lais Razza 0000-0002-0071-0921 Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Stefanie De Smet 0000-0002-3764-3734 Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Chris Baeken Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Stefan Duschek 0000-0002-9082-0154 UMIT - Institute of Psychology University for Health Sciences Medical Informatics and Technology View all articles by this author Rudi De Raedt Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Matias Pulopulos [email protected] Universiteit Gent View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 281 views 140 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Aaron Van Boven, Viviana Verde, Jens Allaert, et al. HF-rTMS over the left and right DLPFC enhances proactive cognitive control: An antisaccade and pupillometry study. Authorea . 09 July 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175206471.10907402/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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