Basic principle of transcranial magnetic stimulation
Auvichayapat, P.; Auvichayapat, N.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 92(11): 1560-1566
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 19938752 Document Number: 11145
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a new neurophysiological technique based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When a pulse of current passes through a coil, it becomes a magnetic field and penetrates the scalp and skull, and reach the brain painlessly. Review TMS stimulator, types of stimulation, mechanism of action, and its application. There are three types of TMS stimulation: 1) Single pulse; used in studying of motor threshold and phosphene threshold. 2) Paired pulse; used in the study of intracortical inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms. 3) Repetitive stimulation; changes corticospinal/corticocortical pathway. The mechanisms increases activity of synapse, changes the secretion of neurotransmitter and causes neuronal plasticity or long-term potentiation. Repetitive stimulation is used in fundamental basic science for brain mapping. It is a new therapeutic method for neuro-psychiatic disorders that does not respond to medications. TMS study is rapidly increasing and accepted as a noninvasive technique. The most favorable treating outcomes are depression and Parkinson disease. Other neuro-psychiatic therapeutic outcomes are ongoing.
Document emailed within 1 workday
