Prolonged Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Can Regulate Sensitivity on Aβ Fibers: An Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

作者：Chong Li, Nannan Zhang, Qiong Han, Lifang Zhang, Shuo Xu, Shuting Tu, Xie Yong, Zhiyong Wang · 发表于：Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.3389/fnmol.2022.887426 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies、Pain Management and Treatment、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments

Objective High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induces analgesic effects in both experimental pain and clinical pain conditions. However, whether rTMS can modulate sensory and pain thresholds on sensory fibers is still unclear. Here, we compared the effects of three rTMS paradigms on sensory and pain thresholds conducted by different sensory fibers (Aβ, Aδ, and C fibers) with sham stimulation and investigate the potential brain activation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods Forty right-handed healthy subjects were randomly allocated into one of four groups. Each subject received one session rTMS [prolonged continuous theta-burst stimulation (pcTBS), intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), 10 Hz rTMS or sham]. Current perception threshold (CPT), pain tolerance threshold (PTT), and fNIRS were measured at baseline, immediately after stimulation, and 1 h after stimulation, respectively. Results Significant differences between treatments were observed for changes for CPT 2,000 Hz between baseline and 1 h after rTMS ( F = 6.551, P < 0.001): pcTBS versus sham ( P = 0.004) and pcTBS versus 10 Hz rTMS ( P = 0.007). There were significant difference in average HbO μm in the right frontopolar cortex (FPC) [channel 23: P = 0.030 (pcTBS versus sham: P = 0.036)], left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) [channel 7: P = 0.006 (pcTBS versus sham: P = 0.004)], left FPC [channel 17: P = 0.014 (pcTBS versus sham: P = 0.046), ...