Reliability of Motor Evoked Potentials Induced by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: The Effects of Initial Motor Evoked Potentials Removal
Journal Title: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience - Year 2017, Vol 8, Issue 1
Abstract
Introduction: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a useful tool for assessment of corticospinal excitability (CSE) changes in both healthy individuals and patients with brain disorders. The usefulness of TMS-elicited motor evoked potentials (MEPs) for the assessment of CSE in a clinical context depends on their intra-and inter-session reliability. This study aimed to evaluate if removal of initial MEPs elicited by using two types of TMS techniques influences the reliability scores and whether this effect is different in blocks with variable number of MEPs. Methods: Twenty-three healthy participants were recruited in this study. The stimulus intensity was set at 120% of resting motor threshold (RMT) for one group while the stimulus intensity was adjusted to record MEPs up to 1 mV for the other group. Twenty MEPs were recorded at 3 time points on 2 separate days. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) reliability with absolute agreement and analysis of variance model were used to assess reliability of the MEP amplitudes for blocks with variable number of MEPs. Results: A decrease in ICC values was observed with removal of 3 or 5 MEPs in both techniques when compared to all MEP responses in any given block. Therefore, removal of the first 3 or 5 MEPs failed to further increase the reliability of MEP responses. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that a greater number of trials involving averaged MEPs can influence TMS reliability more than removal of the first trials.
Authors and Affiliations
Fahimeh Hashemirad, Maryam Zoghi, Paul B Fitzgerald, Shapour Jaberzadeh
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP264662
- DOI 10.15412/J.BCN.03080106
- Views 127
- Downloads 0
Transdifferentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Into Oligoprogenitor Cells
Introduction: The nerve fibers in central nervous system are surrounded by myelin sheet which is formed by oligodendrocytes. Cell therapy based on oligodendrocytes and their precursors transplantation can hold a promisi...
Effect of Play-based Therapy on Metacognitive and Behavioral Aspects of Executive Function: A Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial on the Students With Learning Disabilities
Introduction: Although the effect of educational methods on executive function (EF) is well known, training this function by a playful method is debatable. The current study aimed at investigating if a play-based interve...
Normal Electrical Activity of the Brain in Obsessive-Compulsive Patients After Anodal Stimulation of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Introduction: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been used as a non-invasive method to increase the plasticity of brain. Growing evidence has shown several brain disorders such as depression, anxiety diso...
The Impact of Plasmodium Berghei Exposure In-utero on Neurobehavioral Profile in Mice
Introduction: The World Health Organization estimates that about 25 million pregnant mothers are currently at risk for malaria, and that malaria accounts for over 10,000 maternal and 200,000 neonatal deaths per year. The...
Characterization of Nociceptive Behaviors Induced by Formalin in the Glabrous and Hairy Skin of Rats
Introduction: Glabrous skin and hairy skin are innervated by different types of noxious fibers. However, the different nociceptive behaviors induced by formalin, a commonly used model of acute inflammatory pain, have not...