Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
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Neuropsychopharmacology · Nov 2004
Comparative StudyPreconditioning with transcranial direct current stimulation sensitizes the motor cortex to rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation and controls the direction of after-effects.
Rapid-rate repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can produce a lasting increase in cortical excitability in healthy subjects or induce beneficial effects in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders; however, the conditioning effects of rTMS are often subtle and variable, limiting therapeutic applications. Here we show that magnitude and direction of after-effects induced by rapid-rate rTMS depend on the state of cortical excitability before stimulation and can be tuned by preconditioning with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). ⋯ Preconditioning with tDCS enhances cortical plasticity induced by rapid-rate rTMS and can shape the direction of rTMS-induced after-effects.