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Updated: Nov 19, 2025
Utilizing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Study the Human Neuromuscular System
Published on: January 20, 2012
Comparison between surface electrodes and ultrasound monitoring to measure TMS evoked muscle contraction
Isabella Kaczmarczyk1, Vishal Rawji1, John C Rothwell1
1Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Introduction:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is widely used to explore cortical physiology in health and disease. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is appropriate for superficial muscles, but cannot be applied easily to less accessible muscles. Muscle ultrasound (mUS) may provide an elegant solution to this problem, but fundamental questions remain. We explore the relationship between TMS evoked muscle potentials and TMS evoked muscle contractions measured with mUS.
Methods:
In 10 participants, we performed a TMS recruitment curve, simultaneously measuring motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and mUS in biceps (BI), first dorsal interosseous (FDI), tibialis anterior (TA), and the tongue (TO).
Results:
Resting motor threshold (RMT) measurements and recruitment curves were found to be consistent across sEMG and mUS.
Discussion:
This work supports the use of TMS-US to study less accessible muscles. The implications are broad but could include the study of a new range of muscles in disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
