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TMS combined with EEG: Recommendations and open issues for data collection and analysis
Julio C Hernandez-Pavon1, Domenica Veniero2, Til Ole Bergmann3
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Legs + Walking Lab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Brain Stimulation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.
This review guides researchers using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to study brain activity. It addresses challenges and offers recommendations to improve the standardization and reproducibility of TMS-EEG methods.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with electroencephalography (EEG) is a powerful tool for investigating cortical reactivity and connectivity.
- Methodological challenges and lack of standardization in TMS-EEG limit reproducibility and comparability across studies.
- The precise contribution of non-cortical inputs to TMS-evoked EEG potentials remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive guide for researchers utilizing TMS-EEG for human cortical studies.
- To address methodological challenges and promote standardization in TMS-EEG recordings and analysis.
- To offer expert recommendations for effective TMS-EEG experimental design and data interpretation.
Main Methods:
- A worldwide panel of TMS-EEG experts convened to discuss and provide recommendations.
- The review covers all aspects of TMS-EEG experiments, from recording procedures to data analysis.
- Key challenges, including artifact correction and interpretation of transcranial evoked potentials (TEPs), are identified and discussed.
Main Results:
- The review identifies critical methodological considerations for TMS-EEG experiments.
- It highlights areas requiring standardization, such as equipment, data collection, and analysis techniques.
- Expert recommendations are provided to enhance the quality and comparability of TMS-EEG research.
Conclusions:
- This work offers an extensive overview of TMS-EEG methodology, addressing current challenges.
- Promoting standardization in experimental and computational procedures is crucial for advancing the field.
- The review aims to facilitate more reliable and reproducible studies of human cortical function using TMS-EEG.
