Abstract #1127
Daily Priming Stimulation of the Motor Cortex Reduces Hemodynamics
Glielmi C, Alberts J, Darling W, Epstein C, Hu X, Niyazov D, Butler A
Emory University/GA Tech
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at low-frequency (1 Hz) can lead to inhibition of local cortical excitability. While past work demonstrates that priming stimulation before low frequency stimulation can enhance cortical inhibition, there is little evidence regarding the long-lasting effects of low frequency rTMS. This study examines the effect of 1 Hz rTMS, both with and without 6 Hz priming, on 5 consecutive days and long-term follow-up to elucidate the effect of rTMS on underlying neural activity using BOLD fMRI. Results exhibit significant voxel reduction as low frequency rTMS is continued over 5 days.