How do high‐ and low‐frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulations modulate the temporal cortex

• DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12323
• Publication Date: 2014-09-16T04:59:10Z
• Authors: Clement Nathou; Olivier Etard; Gregory Simon; Sonia Dollfus
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Cross-Over Studies; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Sensory gating; P50; Middle Aged; Sensory Gating; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Temporal Lobe; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Schizophrenia; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Humans; Female; Transcranial magnetic stimulation

AbstractFew studies have examined the impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the cortical excitability of nonmotor cortices; current treatments often target the temporal or prefrontal cortex. We used auditory evoked potentials recorded in 24 healthy subjects to evaluate the neuromodulatory effects of low‐ and high‐frequency rTMS in the temporal lobe. Both auditory evoked potential P50 amplitude, a marker of cortical excitability, and P50 ratio, a marker of sensory gating known to be impaired in patients with auditory verbal hallucinations, were compared before and after rTMS. We observed a similar effect after both stimulation frequencies, with a decrease in P50 amplitude and no significant effect on P50 ratio. Low‐ and high‐frequency rTMS applied to the temporal lobe seemed to exert the same cortical neuromodulation effect, while auditory sensory gating may not be modulated by temporal rTMS.