ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to setup a concuurent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-functional MRI (fMRI) system for understanding causality of the functional brain network. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We manufactured a TMS coil holder using nonmagnetic polyether ether ketone (PEEK). We simulated magnetic field distributions in the MR scanner according to TMS coil positions and angles. To minimize image distortions caused by TMS application, we controlled fMRI acquisition and TMS sequences to trigger TMS during inter-volume intervals. RESULTS: Simulation showed that the magnetic field below the center of the coil was dramatically decreased with distance. Through the MR phantom study, we confirmed that TMS application around inter-volume acquisition time = 100 miliseconds reduced imaging distortion. Finally, the applicability of the concurrent TMS-fMRI was tested in preliminary studies with a healthy subject conducting a motor task within TMS-fMRI and passive motor movement induced by TMS in fMRI. CONCLUSION: In this study, we confirmed that the developed system allows use of TMS inside an fMRI system, which would contribute to the research of brain activation changes and causality in brain connectivity.