Behavioral and Functional Brain Activity Alterations Induced by TMS Coils with Different Spatial Distributions

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used to investigate cognitive processes.
• Previous studies focused on TMS frequency and coil location.
• The spatial profiles of TMS coils offer potential for regional inference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of different TMS coil spatial profiles in modulating prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity.
• To investigate the impact of targeted stimulation on reward-related behavior and brain activity.
• To differentiate the effects of stimulating dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) versus lateral PFC (LPFC).

Main Methods:

• Used Figure-8 and H-Coil TMS to stimulate DLPFC and LPFC, respectively, in healthy volunteers.
• Administered high-frequency (10 Hz) stimulation or sham stimulation.
• Assessed behavioral changes via questionnaires and functional MRI (fMRI) during a reward task.

Main Results:

• Right LPFC stimulation, unlike DLPFC or sham, altered behavioral scores and reward network brain activation.
• TMS induced changes in both behavior and neural activity within reward system nodes.
• The findings suggest effects are mediated by pathways outside the traditionally targeted DLPFC.

Conclusions:

• The right LPFC plays a significant role in reward-related behavior.
• TMS coil spatial profiles are valuable tools for investigating the anatomical and functional basis of behavior.
• This approach offers a novel method for probing brain function and its relation to behavior.