Neuro-Cardiac-Guided TMS (NCG TMS): A replication and extension study

作者：Tabitha A. Iseger, Frank Padberg, J. Leon Kenemans, Hanneke van Dijk, Martijn Arns · 发表于：Biological Psychology · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108097 · 被引用次数：45 · 研究领域：Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies、Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies、EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces

Neuro-Cardiac-Guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (NCG-TMS) was studied for its potential to specifically target the frontal-vagal network. Previous research demonstrated that prefrontal stimulation led to significant heartrate slowing. We aimed to replicate these results in a larger sample and extend the findings to investigate dose-response relationships, reproducibility and stimulation frequency (10 Hz and intermittent theta burst (iTBS)). Data of forty-five healthy controls were analyzed, of which 28 received 10 Hz TMS (NCG-TMS) and 27 iTBS (NCG-iTBS; 10 received both protocols) at different stimulation sites according to the 10-20-EEG system. NCG-TMS yielded a relative heartrate deceleration at the F3/4 coil position replicating earlier studies. Both internal consistency and dose-response relationships were found. For NCG-iTBS adverse events were reported and topography for frontal-vagal activation was more lateralised relative to NCG-TMS. These results indicate that we were able to transsynaptically stimulate the frontal-vagal network and that excitability thresholds for the prefrontal cortex may differ relative to motor cortex.