Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

ABSTRACT

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive and painless stimulation of the human brain. There are three types of stimulation single stimuli, pairs of stimuli separated by different intervals (to the same or to several brain areas), or trains of repetitive stimuli at various frequencies. Single stimuli give rise to motor evoked potentials that have clinical use and serve diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can modify excitability of cerebral cortex. It has opened a new field of studying of the neural circuitry, and is developing into a therapeutic tool. This general review considers fundamental of transcranial magnetic stimulation, mode of stimulation and its application, mechanism of action, and their utility in clinical practice.