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Updated: May 31, 2026
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Combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroencephalography of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Published on: August 17, 2018
Transcranial magnetic stimulation-evoked EEG/cortical potentials in physiological and pathological aging
Silvia Casarotto1, Sara Määttä, Sanna-Kaisa Herukka
1Department of Clinical Sciences L. Sacco Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Neuroreport
|July 15, 2011
Summary
Frontal cortex excitability in healthy aging is preserved, but cognitive impairment, such as in Alzheimer's disease, significantly alters electroencephalography responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Cognitive Neurology
Background:
- The frontal cortex exhibits age-related structural and functional changes.
- These alterations can be physiological (healthy aging) or pathological (e.g., Alzheimer's disease).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in frontal cortex excitability during healthy and pathological aging.
- To compare electroencephalography (EEG) responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) across different age groups and cognitive statuses.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were employed.
- TMS-evoked EEG potentials were recorded in healthy young adults, healthy elderly adults, and Alzheimer's disease patients.
Main Results:
- Physiological aging did not significantly affect the EEG response to TMS in the left superior frontal cortex.
- Cognitive impairment, as seen in Alzheimer's disease, markedly altered the TMS-evoked EEG potentials.
Conclusions:
- Frontal cortex excitability remains stable during healthy aging.
- Cognitive decline is associated with significant alterations in frontal cortex neurophysiology, detectable via EEG-TMS.
