Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), by providing a method of stimulating human brain without the need for surgical exposure or significant discomfort, facilitated the study of cerebral functions in both normal subjects and patients. The aspects of TMS treated include: (1) The part(s) of neurons readily direct excited by TMS; (2) the optimal relationship between the orientations of the electric field induced by TMS and the directly excited neurons; (3) the transynaptic effects of the directly excited neurons that are either distant or local; (4) the effects of repetitive versus single pulse TMS.