Bridging the gap: TMS-EEG from lab to clinic

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Neurophysiology

Background:

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) has been a focus of scientific research for over 20 years.
• Growing evidence suggests TMS-EEG's potential as a valuable tool in clinical neurosciences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the identified gaps hindering the clinical application of TMS-EEG.
• To discuss potential solutions and recent advancements to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TMS-EEG limitations and potential solutions.
• Identification of key challenges in clinical translation.

Main Results:

• Four principal gaps prevent TMS-EEG's clinical utility: complex application, signal quality issues, suboptimal accuracy/reliability, and insufficient neurobiological understanding.
• Recent studies offer promising tools to address these limitations.

Conclusions:

• Overcoming technical and methodological limitations is essential for establishing TMS-EEG in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Further research and development are needed to translate TMS-EEG from laboratory settings to standard clinical practice.