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[Transcranial magnetic stimulation]
J M Tormos1, M D Catalá, A Pascual-Leone
1Laboratorio de Estimulación Magnética Cerebral, Centro Médico Beth Israel Deaconess, Universidad de Harvard, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Introduction:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) permits stimulation of the cerebral cortex in humans without requiring open access to the brain and is one of the newest tools available in neuroscience. There are two main types of application: single-pulse TMS and repetitive TMS.
Development:
The magnetic stimulator is composed of a series of capacitors that store the voltage necessary to generate a stimulus of the sufficient intensity of generate an electric field in the stimulation coil. The safety of TMS is supported by the considerable experience derived from studies involving electrical stimulation of the cortex in animals and humans, and also specific studies on the safety of TMS in humans.
Conclusions:
In this article we review historical and technical aspects of TMS, describe its adverse effects and how to avoid them, summarize the applications of TMS in the investigation of different cerebral functions, and discuss the possibility of using TMS for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.