• Sergiu Albu, Julio Gómez-Soriano, Elisabeth Bravo-Esteban, Ramiro Palazon, Hatice Kumru, Gerardo Avila-Martin, Iriana Galán-Arriero, and Julian Taylor.
• Sensorimotor Function Group, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos SESCAM, Finca "La Peraleda", Toledo 45071, Spain. Electronic address: salbu@sescam.jccm.es.
• Neurosci. Lett. 2013 Oct 25;555:237-42.

BackgroundRepetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) modulates thermal somatosensory function at both low (0.2-1.0Hz) and high (5.0-20.0Hz) frequencies within the conditioned dermatome. However the effects of 1Hz and 20Hz cervical (C6-C7) rMS on thermosensory thresholds and contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) tested within local and remote spinal dermatomes are not known.MethodsThirty healthy subjects participated in the study. Warm and cold detection threshold, heat and cold pain thresholds, and Cz/Fz CHEPs were evaluated within the C6, T10 and extrasegmental V3 control dermatome, before and after random assignment of subjects to sham, 1 or 20Hz C6-C7 rMS.ResultsFollowing both 1 and 20Hz cervical rMS, warm detection threshold increased within the local C6 dermatome. Furthermore 1Hz cervical rMS increased warm detection threshold within the remote T10 dermatome, but not within the V3-trigeminal control area. Cervical rMS failed to modulate cold detection threshold, heat and cold pain threshold or Cz/Fz CHEP amplitude from the dermatomal test sites.ConclusionBoth 1 and 20Hz cervical rMS modulated warm detection threshold within the locally conditioned C6 dermatome. The concomitant increase in warm detection threshold within the T10 dermatome following 1Hz rMS provides evidence for remote neuromodulation of thermosensory function via intraspinal control mechanisms.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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