tms Flashcards
What principle is TMS based on?
the principle of electromagnetic inductions
TMS basics what is happening at the level of the coil
- Electricity flows through the coil
- induces a magnetic field
- (This magnetic field induces a transient magnetic field that affects the membrane potential of neurons underneath) the
- field is capable of inducing action potentials of neurons underneath
TMS - does it have excitatory or inhibitory effects
both - it can both elicit activity and interfere with ongoing electrical activity (virtual lesion)
what are the different types of TMS
- single pulse TMS
- repetitive pulse (rTMS)
single and repetitive - online vs offline effects?
- single pulse - just one pulse - very transient process. online.
- repetitive pulse TMS - online and offline.
online effect
Looking at behavioural effects WHILE the pulse is being delivered.
repetative pulse stimulation
more than one pulse a second.
- up to many pulses
- 100Hz would be 100 pulses a second
- online - looking at current effects of the pulse
- offline - looking at after-effects of the pulse
rTMS offline effects - what effects the stimulation after-effects
the frequency at which you stimulate n
- low freq repetitive TMS (< 1HZ) - decreases cortical excitability
- high freq rTMS (> 5Hz) - increases cortical excitability
the effecrts ofTMS depend upon the frequency at which you stimulate
Why was theta burst stimulation ( TBS) created. what are the subtypes?
to enhance the after-effects (longer duration) of repetitive TMS
- Intermittent TBS - facilitates MEP - increase cortical excitability
- continuous TBS - inhibits MEP - decrease cortical excitability
- intermeiate TBS - unaffects MEP
MEP is the motor evoked threshold - how much activity is needed to elicit a behaviour.
whats the difference between TMS and TDCS?
- TMS - electromagnetic induction
- TDCS - direct electrical stimulation - but with very very weak currents (~1mA)
TDCS - how is the weak current delivered?
the weak current is delivered to the cortex using 2 electrodes (damp sponges) placed on the scalp
- anode - red - current enter through anode
- cathode - blue. - travels through any cortex it goes through and exits through the cathode
so this means wif you change these round you are changing which neurons the current passes through.
how does TMS look vs TDCS
TMS
- swimming cap placed on the head with red spot somewhere
- pair red spot with the mid-point of the coil
- deliver pulse
TDCS
- two electrodes placed on scalp - anode and cathode
- held in place with adjustable band
- electrode leads attached to stimulator
- stimulator - lightweight electronic box
- very portable
TDCS - what convection is it
conduct the behavioural task you are interested in e.g., visual search task either
- during stimulation
- and/or immediately after it
Could have stimulation parameter that lasts 15 minutes. might leave it to start having an effect after 5 minutes then test n the remaining 10.
or you could stimulate for 15 minutes and not do anything then as soon as stimulation ends go - right now do the task
TDCS electrods - sizes
large (7x5 cm)
small ( 3x3cm)
so they aren’t particularly small electrodes
What does the efficacy ofTDCS depend on?
different parameters
- current density - this determines the ELECTRICAL field strength
- the strength of the field is dependent on both - the stimulation density chosen and the size of the electrode (size of area being stimulated)
so higher intensity + smaller electrode size will increase the ELECTRICAL field density
small intensity + large electrode - you spread the stimulation across large area
differences in the lasting effects of excitablity with TMS and TDCS
TMS - 1 pulse effects activity, soon as stimulation stops activity reverts back to normal
TDCS - induces longer lasting changes in excitability (depending on stimulation parameters)
- might return back to normal if TDCS is applied for less than 10 mins
- if it’s applied for 15 mins - excitability changes that last up to 90 minutes
two types of TDCS
Anodal stimulation
- anode covers a region of interest
- enhances cortical excitability
cathode stimulation
- cathode over region of interest
- decrease cortical excitability
describe a set up of anodal stimulation
- if we were interested in the right posterior parietal cortex - place the anode there
- place cathode over the contralateral subra-orbital region. (the forhead)
if anode is over the region of interest it should enhance cortical excitability here.
Why does placing the anode over the region of interest INCREASE cortical excitability?
Excitatory (anodal TDCS) causes locally reduced GABA
Stagg et al., (2009)
Why does placing the cathode over the region of interest DECREASE cortical excitability?
- Inhibitory (cathodal) stimulation causes reduced glutaminergic neural activity
- with highly correlated reduction in GABA
Stagg et al., 2009
What did Staggs paper find out when looking at the anodal and cathodal stimulation underlying mechanisms?
- used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to look at the effect of TDCS on NT’s
- found anodal TDCS caused locally reduced GABA
- while cathodal stimulation reduced glutaminergic activity
Other than the reduction of GABA/Glutaminergic NT’s what other things could modulate the effects of TDCS?
some evidence that TDCS effects are modulated by glial cells.
- Glial cells don’t have an action potential or anything
- they are structural cells within the brain that have many important functions like functional and nutritional support for neurons
Ruhenonen and Karhu 2012