Sensory Entrained TMS (seTMS) enhances motor cortex plasticity.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurophysiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Neural excitability varies with sensory input, impacting brain stimulation efficacy.
• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), including intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), shows promise for neurological/psychiatric disorders but has variable outcomes.
• Current TMS protocols do not leverage neural excitability fluctuations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sustained effects of sensory entrained intermittent theta burst stimulation (se-iTBS) as a repetitive protocol.
• To compare the efficacy of se-iTBS with standard iTBS in enhancing corticospinal excitability.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover study involving 20 participants.
• Comparison of standard iTBS with sensory entrained iTBS (se-iTBS).
• Measurement of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) to assess corticospinal excitability.

Main Results:

• se-iTBS more than doubled the MEP enhancement compared to standard iTBS (55% vs 26%).
• The enhanced effects of se-iTBS persisted for at least 30 minutes.
• Over 80% of participants exhibited greater responses with se-iTBS across all measured time points.

Conclusions:

• se-iTBS offers a robust and practical method for optimizing TMS protocols.
• This approach bridges electrophysiological mechanisms with potential clinical applications.
• se-iTBS demonstrates superior efficacy in enhancing neural responses compared to standard iTBS.