Tuning noninvasive brain stimulation with MRI to cope with intersubject variability

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and repetitive sensory stimulation (RSS) induce changes in neural excitability linked to synaptic plasticity.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and functional MRI (fMRI), are crucial for assessing baseline states and stimulation-induced changes.
• Interindividual variability in behavioral and clinical responses to stimulation protocols is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the benefits of integrating NIBS and RSS with MRI techniques.
• To address intersubject variability in treatment responses.
• To identify predictive patterns of individual receptiveness to stimulation therapies.

Main Methods:

• Review of current knowledge on NIBS, RSS, and MRI applications in neuroscience.
• Analysis of physiological readouts from MRI to explain treatment heterogeneity.
• Exploration of classifying participants based on neurophysiological states for tailored interventions.

Main Results:

• Accumulating knowledge links stimulation-induced excitability changes to synaptic plasticity.
• MRI techniques provide valuable qualitative assessments of neural states and responses.
• Physiological data from MRI can explain heterogeneous responses to stimulation protocols.

Conclusions:

• Integrating MRI with stimulation techniques allows for precise monitoring of neural network effects.
• This integration facilitates the customization of intervention protocols.
• Personalized stimulation approaches promise improved therapeutic potential and rehabilitative predictions.