Glenn H M Calvert1, Roisin McMackin2, Richard G Carson3. 1. Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Lloyd Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, Northern Ireland, UK. 2. Academic Unit of Neurology, 152-160 Pearse St., Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. 3. Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Lloyd Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, Northern Ireland, UK. Electronic address: richard.carson@tcd.ie.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To characterise the effect of altering transcranial magnetic stimulation parameters on the magnitude of interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) from dorsal premotor (PMd) to primary motor cortex (M1). METHOD: We used a fully automated adaptive threshold hunting paradigm to quantify PMd-M1 IHI across a range of conditioning stimulus (CS) intensities (90%, 110%, 130% of resting motor threshold, rMT) and interstimulus intervals (ISIs) (8, 10, 40 ms). M1-M1 IHI was examined with CS intensities of 110%, 120%, and 130% rMT and ISIs of 10 and 40 ms. Two test coil orientations (inducing posterior-anterior or anterior-posterior current) were used. RESULTS: PMd-M1 IHI was obtained consistently with posterior-anterior (but not anterior-posterior) test stimuli and increased with CS intensity. M1-M1 IHI was expressed across all conditions and increased with CS intensity when posterior-anterior but not anterior-posterior induced current was used. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of PMd-M1 IHI is contingent on test coil orientation (requiring posterior-anterior induced current) and increases as a function of CS intensity. The expression of M1-M1 IHI is not dependent on test coil orientation. SIGNIFICANCE: We defined a range of parameters that elicit reliable PMd-M1 IHI. This (threshold hunting) methodology may provide a means to quantify premotor-motor pathology and reveal novel quantitative biomarkers.
OBJECTIVE: To characterise the effect of altering transcranial magnetic stimulation parameters on the magnitude of interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) from dorsal premotor (PMd) to primary motor cortex (M1). METHOD: We used a fully automated adaptive threshold hunting paradigm to quantify PMd-M1 IHI across a range of conditioning stimulus (CS) intensities (90%, 110%, 130% of resting motor threshold, rMT) and interstimulus intervals (ISIs) (8, 10, 40 ms). M1-M1 IHI was examined with CS intensities of 110%, 120%, and 130% rMT and ISIs of 10 and 40 ms. Two test coil orientations (inducing posterior-anterior or anterior-posterior current) were used. RESULTS:PMd-M1 IHI was obtained consistently with posterior-anterior (but not anterior-posterior) test stimuli and increased with CS intensity. M1-M1 IHI was expressed across all conditions and increased with CS intensity when posterior-anterior but not anterior-posterior induced current was used. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of PMd-M1 IHI is contingent on test coil orientation (requiring posterior-anterior induced current) and increases as a function of CS intensity. The expression of M1-M1 IHI is not dependent on test coil orientation. SIGNIFICANCE: We defined a range of parameters that elicit reliable PMd-M1 IHI. This (threshold hunting) methodology may provide a means to quantify premotor-motor pathology and reveal novel quantitative biomarkers.