cTBS delivered to the left somatosensory cortex changes its functional connectivity during rest

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• The primary somatosensory cortex (SI) is crucial for somatosensation, action, and social cognition.
• Non-invasive brain stimulation, like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is frequently used to study the SI.
• Limited research exists on TMS effects on SI's resting-state functional connectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the left SI on resting-state functional connectivity.
• To determine if cTBS alters functional connections between the SI and other brain regions during rest.

Main Methods:

• Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to measure brain connectivity.
• Administered active or sham cTBS over the individually targeted left SI in a randomized crossover design.
• Employed partial correlations, seed-based whole-brain regression, and Independent Component Analysis for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Active cTBS over the SI significantly reduced functional connectivity.
• This reduction was observed between the stimulated SI and regions including the dorsal premotor cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and anterior cingulate cortex.
• Findings were consistent across multiple analytical approaches.

Conclusions:

• Continuous theta burst stimulation over the primary somatosensory cortex effectively modulates its resting-state functional connectivity.
• These findings demonstrate the influence of cTBS on SI's network interactions.
• The results have potential implications for both experimental research and therapeutic applications of cTBS targeting the SI.