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Conditions for numerically accurate TMS electric field simulation
Computational simulations of the E-field induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are increasingly used to understand its mechanisms and to inform its administration. However, characterization of the accuracy of the simulation methods and the factors that affect it is lacking.A new device to improve target localization for transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy
Accurate identification of cranial midline structures is essential for many targeting techniques that use repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), including the Beam F3 method used for depression treatment.Characterizing and minimizing the contribution of sensory inputs to TMS-evoked potentials
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evokes voltage deflections in electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, known as TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs), which are increasingly used to study brain dynamics. However, the extent to which TEPs reflect activity directly evoked by magnetic rather than sensory stimulation is unclear.LTD-like plasticity of the human primary motor cortex can be reversed by γ-tACS
Cortical oscillatory activities play a role in regulating several brain functions in humans. However, whether motor resonant oscillations (i.e. β and γ) modulate long-term depression (LTD)-like plasticity of the primary motor cortex (M1) is still unclear.Safety, tolerability and effectiveness of a novel 20 Hz rTMS protocol targeting dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in major depression: An open-label case series
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been recently studied as an alternative to conventional dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) rTMS [1,2]. Across both targets, intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) reduces treatment duration while achieving comparable outcomes to conventional 10 Hz stimulation [1,3]. However, iTBS can require more costly devices than conventional high-frequency rTMS, and the consistency of excitatory effect varies across individuals [4].Combining reward and M1 transcranial direct current stimulation enhances the retention of newly learnt sensorimotor mappings
Reward-based feedback given during motor learning has been shown to improve the retention of the behaviour being acquired. Interestingly, applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during learning over the primary motor cortex (M1), an area associated with motor retention, also results in enhanced retention of the newly formed motor memories. However, it remains unknown whether combining these distinct interventions result in an additive benefit of motor retention.Somatosensory-motor cortex interactions measured using dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation
Dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (ds-TMS) is a neurophysiological technique to measure functional connectivity between cortical areas.Effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on cerebellar-brain inhibition in humans: A systematic evaluation
Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) is increasingly used to modulate cerebellar excitability and plasticity in healthy subjects and various patient populations. ctDCS parameters are poorly standardized, and its physiology remains little understood. Our aim was to compare the physiological effects of three different non-target electrode positions (buccinator muscle, supraorbital region, deltoid muscle).Individual differences in TMS sensitivity influence the efficacy of tDCS in facilitating sensorimotor adaptation
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance cognitive function in healthy individuals, with promising applications as a therapeutic intervention. Despite this potential, variability in the efficacy of tDCS has been a considerable concern.Somatosensory and transcranial direct current stimulation effects on manual dexterity and motor cortex function: A metaplasticity study
Non-invasive neuromodulation may provide treatment strategies for neurological deficits affecting movement, such as stroke. For example, weak electrical stimulation applied to the hand by wearing a “mesh glove” (MGS) can transiently increase primary motor cortex (M1) excitability. Conversely, transcranial direct current stimulation with the cathode over M1 (c-tDCS) can decrease corticomotor excitability. Objective/Hypothesis: We applied M1 c-tDCS as a priming adjuvant to MGS and hypothesised metaplastic effects would be apparent in improved motor performance and modulation of M1 inhibitory and facilitatory circuits.Direction of TDCS current flow in human sensorimotor cortex influences behavioural learning
Recent studies have shown that neurophysiological outcomes of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) are influenced by current flow in brain regions between the electrodes, and in particular the orientation of current flow relative to the cortical surface.Interhemispheric cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation of the prefrontal cortex jointly modulates frontal asymmetry and emotional reactivity
As advances in neuroimaging further our understanding of the brain's functional connectivity, neuropsychology has moved away from a regional approach of attributing behavior to a specific region towards a network approach, attributing behavior to interconnected regions. A prime example of this is the suggested relevance of frontal asymmetry of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) in emotional processing. Yet, while neuroimaging defines relevant networks, it can only establish correlations and not causality.Involvement of different neuronal components in the induction of cortical plasticity with associative stimulation
Paired associative stimulation (PAS), with stimulus interval of 21.5 or 25 ms, using transcranial magnetic stimulation in the posterior-anterior (PA) current direction, produces a long-term-potentiation-like effect. Stimulation with PA directed current generates both early and late indirect (I)-waves while that in anterior-posterior (AP) current predominantly elicits late I-waves. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) inhibits late I-waves but not early I-waves.Brain stimulation patterns emulating endogenous thalamocortical input to parvalbumin-expressing interneurons reduce nociception in mice
The bursting pattern of thalamocortical (TC) pathway dampens nociception. Whether brain stimulation mimicking endogenous patterns can engage similar sensory gating processes in the cortex and reduce nociceptive behaviors remains uninvestigated.Long-lasting effects of transcranial static magnetic field stimulation on motor cortex excitability
Transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) was recently added to the family of inhibitory non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. However, the application of tSMS for 10–20 min over the motor cortex (M1) induces only short-lasting effects that revert within few minutes.Transcranial magnetic stimulation and movement of aneurysm clips
We are interested in whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could cause movement of intracranial aneurysm clips. We conducted some backyard exercises – albeit, with the encouragement of Prof Anthony Barker, who designed the first TMS machine.Modulation of motor cortex excitability predicts antidepressant response to prefrontal cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a treatment option for patients with medication-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). However, antidepressant response is variable and there are currently no response predictors with sufficient accuracy for clinical use.No modulatory effects by transcranial static magnetic field stimulation of human motor and somatosensory cortex
Recently, it was reported that the application of a static magnetic field by placing a strong permanent magnet over the scalp for 10 min led to an inhibition of motor cortex excitability for at least 6 min after removing the magnet. When placing the magnet over the somatosensory cortex, a similar inhibitory after effect could be observed as well.The critical role of the dorsal fronto-median cortex in voluntary action inhibition: A TMS study
Action inhibition is a complex decision process that can be triggered by external factors (exogenous) or internal decisions (endogenous). While the neuronal underpinnings of exogenous action inhibition have been extensively investigated, less is known about the brain areas responsible for endogenous action inhibition.Modulation of the Direction and Magnitude of Hebbian Plasticity in Human Motor Cortex by Stimulus Intensity and Concurrent Inhibition
One of the most fascinating and important properties of the mammalian brain is its remarkable capacity for plasticity. Synaptic plasticity is considered to be the primary neuronal substrate for learning and memory [1]. As predicted in Hebb's postulate of associative plasticity in 1949 [2], synapses are strengthened if presynaptic activity precedes and contributes to postsynaptic firing, referred to as long term potentiation (LTP) [3], and weakened if the order is reversed, termed long term depression (LTD) [4].Randomized Single Blind Sham Controlled Trial of Adjunctive Home-Based tDCS after rTMS for Mal De Debarquement Syndrome: Safety, Efficacy, and Participant Satisfaction Assessment
Neuromodulation therapies that involve low levels of current applied transcranially represent a powerful new option for treating a growing number of neurological and psychiatric disorders [1–4]. One form, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), involves directionally applied current through one or more anodes and cathodes [5,6]. Scientific interest in expanding neuromodulation programs into the home environment has been gaining traction as larger scale studies have shown safety and tolerability of transcranially applied electrical current when monitored by investigators [7–9].Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Physical Function and Motor Signs in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD) results in functional disruption within the cortico-basal ganglia–thalamo-cortical motor circuit [1,2]. In particular, there is an excessive inhibition of thalamocortical projection to various cortical targets, including the primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor cortex (SMA) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) [2–4]. Abnormal neural activities in these cortical areas were evident in neuroimaging studies that showed hypo-activations of SMA and DLPFC [5].The Clinical TMS Society Consensus Review and Treatment Recommendations for TMS Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder
TMS therapy uses a computerized, electromechanical medical device to produce and deliver non-invasive, magnetic stimulation using brief duration, rapidly alternating, or pulsed, magnetic fields to induce electrical currents directed at spatially discrete regions of the cerebral cortex. This method of cortical stimulation by application of brief magnetic pulses to the head is known as transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS. When pulses of TMS are delivered repetitively, this is called repetitive TMS, or rTMS.Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Educes Frequency-Specific Causal Relationships in the Motor Network
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has the potential to treat brain disorders by modulating the activity of disease-specific brain networks. A prime example of this approach may be seen in the rTMS treatments of the fronto-limbic network of major depressive disorder [1–3], in which rTMS is delivered to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to indirectly modulate the activity levels of the subgenual cingulate, which is too deep for standard rTMS coils to reach. Traditionally, rTMS rate has been applied in rTMS treatment protocols in either an inhibitory (≤1 Hz) or excitatory (>1 Hz) fashion [4,5], where it is assumed that these inhibitory or excitatory rTMS treatments affect the targeted brain networks in the same linear way – i.e.Safety of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Children and Adolescents
Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial current stimulation (tCS) have the potential to mitigate a variety of symptoms associated with neurological and psychiatric conditions, including stroke, cerebral palsy, autism, depression, and Tourette syndrome. While the safety of these modalities has been established in adults, there is a paucity of research assessing the safety of NIBS among children.
