State-Dependent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Synchronized with Electroencephalography: Mechanisms, Applications,...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurology

Background:

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) precisely probes cortical dynamics.
• Understanding the state-dependent nature of TMS-EEG is crucial for measurement reliability and clinical use.
• Integrating neuromodulation with high temporal resolution reveals brain network dynamics in real-time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-dependent nature of TMS-EEG.
• To analyze foundational mechanisms, challenges, and advanced paradigms of TMS-EEG.
• To highlight future directions for enhancing TMS-EEG's clinical applicability.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TMS-EEG.
• Analysis of TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and their variability.
• Evaluation of advanced techniques like closed-loop and task-embedded TMS-EEG.

Main Results:

• TMS-EEG enables real-time analysis of brain network dynamics.
• Advanced paradigms like closed-loop and task-embedded TMS-EEG offer enhanced insights.
• Current limitations include hardware, artifacts, and preprocessing inconsistencies.

Conclusions:

• State-dependent TMS-EEG holds promise for basic neuroscience and precision medicine.
• Future work should focus on adaptive algorithms, phase-specific protocols, and standardization.
• This approach can advance treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders.