Resting-State Functional Connectivity Modification by Non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation of the Brain

Steven Roys¹, Gadi Alon², George Makris, Rao Gullapalli¹

Intracranial electrical brain stimulation has been shown to provide favorable clinical outcomes in various CNS conditions including Parkinsons disease, stroke, clinical depression and pain. However the mechanisms related to these outcomes are less well understood. In this study we report changes in the resting state motor network following electrical stimulation of the motor cortex using both pulsed and direct current stimulation. We observe persistent, significant changes in the resting state motor network following pulsed electric stimulation. These results suggest that functional connectivity MRI studies can help elucidate the mechanisms responsible for therapeutic effects of electric stimulation.