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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Induced Modulation of Functional Connectivity in Healthy Controls: A TMS-EEG Graph
Inés Fernández-Linsenbarth1, Gema Mijancos-Martínez2,3, Saúl J Ruiz-Gómez2,3
1Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
Introduction:
The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) enables direct interaction with the brain while recording the resulting neural activity, offering a unique opportunity to understand the brain's functional dynamics. In this study, TMS-EEG was employed to examine the effects of TMS on functional network connectivity through graph theory parameters.
Methods:
A total of 29 healthy controls underAuthor: Please check funding information and confirm its correctness.went a single-pulse TMS-EEG protocol targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Three graph theory parameters summarizing functional network properties (i.e., connectivity strength, clustering coefficient, and characteristic path length) were analyzed before and after TMS application.
Results:
TMS-single pulse administration over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of healthy controls was associated with a significant increase in connectivity strength and clustering coefficient, and a significant decrease in the characteristic path length parameters. These changes are consistent with a shift towards a small-world network organization.
Conclusion:
These findings provide insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying TMS-induced changes and could have potential therapeutic implications.
