Brain Stimul
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Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) and intermittent TBS (iTBS) are powerful patterns of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), with substantial potential for motor function rehabilitation post-stroke. However, TBS of suprahyoid motor cortex excitability has not been investigated. This study investigated TBS effects on suprahyoid motor cortex excitability and its potential mechanisms in healthy subjects. ⋯ TBS effectively regulates suprahyoid motor cortex excitability. Suppression of excitability in one hemisphere leads to further activation of the corresponding contralateral motor cortex. iTBS reverses the inhibitory effect induced by cTBS of the contralateral suprahyoid motor cortex.
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Long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI) is a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigm that uses paired magnetic stimuli separated by 100-200 ms to investigate the activity of cortical GABAergic interneurons. While commonly applied, the mechanisms contributing to LICI are not well understood, and growing evidence suggests that inhibition observed at different interstimulus intervals (ISI) may involve non-identical processes. ⋯ These findings suggest that LICI100 and LICI150 reflect complex measurements of cortical inhibition with differential contributions from comparable circuits.
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Stimulation of the vagus nerve via implanted electrodes is currently used to treat refractory epilepsy and depression. Recently, a non-invasive approach to vagal stimulation has demonstrated similar beneficial effects, but it remains unclear whether these effects are mediated via activation of afferent vagal fibers. ⋯ The present findings provide evidence in humans that cervical vagal afferents can be accessed non-invasively via transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the antero-lateral surface of the neck, which overlies the course of the nerve, suggesting an alternative and feasible method of stimulating vagal afferents.