Kilohertz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation (kTMP): A New Non-invasive Method to Modulate Cortical Excitability

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.92088
• Publication Date: 2024-03-18T12:27:51Z
• Authors: Ludovica Labruna; Christina Merrick; Angel V Peterchev; Ben Inglis; Richard B Ivry; Daniel Sheltraw
• Keywords: Cortical neurons

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) provides a method for safely perturbing activity, and has been employed in basic research to test hypotheses concerning brainbehavior relationships with increasing translational applications. We introduce evaluate novel subthreshold NIBS method: kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP). kTMP is induction that delivers continuous kHz-frequency cortical electric fields (E-fields) which may be amplitude-modulated potentially mimic electrical activity at endogenous frequencies. used TMS compare the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) hand muscle before after kTMP. In Experiment 1, we applied 10 min over motor cortex induce an E-field approximately 2.0 V/m, comparing effects waveforms frequencies 2.0, 3.5, or 5.0 kHz. Experiments 2 3 two forms carrier frequency 3.5 kHz modulation either 20 140 Hz. The only percept associated was auditory tone, making amenable doubleblind experimentation. Relative sham stimulation, non-modulated resulted increase excitability, providing replication this effect condition. Although increased MEP compared sham, no enhancement found opens new experimental space inducing relatively large E-fields able excitability minimal sensation.