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Safety aspects of transcranial brain stimulation in man tested by single photon emission-computed tomography
D Dressler1, E Voth, M Feldmann
1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, F.R.G.
Abstract:
Single photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) using 99mTc-labelled hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO), a new method to visualize regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and epileptogenic foci, was used to study acute and long-term effects of transcranial brain stimulation. Magnetic and electric brain stimulation increase rCBF not more than voluntary muscle activation mimicking the motor effects of transcranial brain stimulation. Focal rCBF increase, typical for epileptogenic foci, or other pathological findings could not be detected even when the subject had received several thousand stimulations in the past. Transcranial brain stimulation does not produce rCBF patterns indicating acute or chronic adverse effects.