Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Ask
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Ask
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Ask
Stimulation (TMS)
Changes in membrane potential due to inward(left) and outward(right)
transmembrane current flow.
• TMS is based on the principle of electromagnetic
induction
• If a pulse of current passing through a coil placed
over a person’s head has sufficient strength and
short enough duration... rapidly changing magnetic
pulses are generated that penetrate scalp and
skull to reach brain with negligible attenuation
• These pulses induce a secondary ionic current
(transmembrane) in brain (neurons). A sufficient
current causes depolarisation of its membrane
*The capacity of TMS to depolarise straight nerves
depends on the “activating function”
• Stimulation is produced by
generating a brief, high-intensity
magnetic field by passing a brief
electric current through a
magnetic coil.
• rTMS at slow rates, approximately between 0.2 and 1 Hz, will cause a
decrease in brain excitability.
• PET and fMRI lack time resolution and cannot alone prove that an area is
essential for a particular function. TMS can transiently disrupt activity in
focal brain regions, allowing researchers to assess function on a millisecond
scale.
• The side effects are minimal and well tolerated, consisting principally
of migraines and minor skin injuries in the application area.