Transcranial magnetic stimulation in neurology.

Full Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive tool for the electrical stimulation of neural tissue, including cerebral cortex, spinal roots, and cranial and peripheral nerves. TMS can be applied as single pulses of stimulation, pairs of stimuli separated by variable intervals to the same or different brain areas, or as trains of repetitive stimuli at various frequencies. Single stimuli can depolarise neurons and evoke measurable effects. Trains of stimuli (repetitive TMS) can modify excitability of the cerebral cortex at the stimulated site and also at remote areas along functional anatomical connections. TMS might provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of the neural circuitry underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders, be developed into clinically useful diagnostic and prognostic tests, and have therapeutic uses in various diseases. This potential is supported by the available studies, but more work is needed to establish the role of TMS in clinical neurology.

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Author information

Author/s: Kobayashi, Masahito (M); Pascual-Leone, Alvaro (A);

Affiliation: Laboratory for Magnetic Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.; Review

Journal: Lancet neurology (Lancet Neurol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Mar; vol 2 (issue 3) : pp 145-56

Dates: Created 2003/07/09; Completed 2003/09/09; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12849236, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Brain - physiopathology
Electromagnetic Fields
Humans
Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; physiopathology
Peripheral Nerves - physiopathology

Peripheral Nerves - physiopathology
Reaction Time - physiology
Sensitivity and Specificity
Spinal Cord - physiopathology
Synaptic Transmission - physiology

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