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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
A Novel Approach for Documenting Phosphenes Induced by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: April 1, 2010
Effects of theta burst stimulation protocols on phosphene threshold
Michele Franca1, Giacomo Koch, Hitoshi Mochizuki
1Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. michele.tfr@katamail.com
Objective:
We investigated the effects on occipital cortex, of two newly developed methods of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS): continuous and intermittent theta burst stimulation (cTBS and iTBS), that lead to long lasting changes in excitability when applied over primary motor cortex.
Methods:
Phosphene threshold to a single TMS pulse was measured before and after application of either continuous or intermittent theta burst stimulation (cTBS/iTBS; 600 total pulses at 80% phosphene threshold).
Results:
In our cohort, cTBS increased phosphene threshold by an average of 10%. In contrast, iTBS, which transiently increases motor cortex excitability, had no effect on phosphene threshold.
Conclusions:
cTBS can be applied successfully to non-motor areas of cortex, but iTBS may need modification to produce maximal effects.
Significance:
cTBS maybe a new useful tool in disorders characterized by an abnormal state of activity of the visual cortex.
