Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a widely used, noninvasive method for stimulating nervous tissue, yet its mechanisms of effect are poorly understood. Here we report new methods for studying the influence of TMS on single neurons in the brain of alert non-human primates. We designed a TMS coil that focuses its effect near the tip of a recording electrode and recording electronics that enable direct acquisition of neuronal signals at the site of peak stimulus strength minimally perturbed by stimulation artifact in awake monkeys (Macaca mulatta). We recorded action potentials within ? ̂1/41 ms after 0.4-ms TMS pulses and observed changes in activity that differed significantly for active stimulation as compared with sham stimulation. This methodology is compatible with standard equipment in primate laboratories, allowing easy implementation. Application of these tools will facilitate the refinement of next generation TMS devices, experiments and treatment protocols.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1130-1136 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Nature neuroscience |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank C. Kozyrkov for her assistance with preliminary data collection. This work was supported by a Research Incubator Award from the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences to T.E., M.L.P., M.A.S., and W.M.G. and by NIH grant R21 NS078687 to M.A.S.