Transcranial magnetic stimulation disrupts the inhibitory role of the right inferior frontal gyrus in bilingual language control

The causal role of the right inferior frontal gyrus (RIFG) in inhibitory control has previously been identified at the behavioral level using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). To further explore the underlying neural mechanisms, we combined TMS with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in bilingual language switching. Results showed reduced asymmetric switching costs in RIFG activation following continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) compared to sham stimulation, while intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) caused no improvement. These findings provide neural evidence consistent with disruption of RIFG-related control, although no corresponding behavioral impairment was observed. This work is among the first studies to integrate TMS and fMRI to shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying the causal involvement of a specific brain region in bilingual language control.