Intermittent theta-burst stimulation induces correlated changes in cortical and corticospinal excitability in healthy older subjects

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a versatile tool for studying human neurophysiology in vivo (Barker et al., 1985; Hallett, 2007; Rossini and Rossi, 2007). Single TMS pulses applied to the primary motor cortex (M1) can elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in contralateral muscles that can be quantified using surface electromyography (EMG). The amplitude of MEPs averaged across batches of single pulses provides an index of cortico-motor reactivity (Rothwell, 1997). When applied in repetitive trains (repetitive TMS, rTMS) or in specific patterns inspired by synaptic plasticity protocols (theta-burst stimulation, TBS), TMS can produce changes in cortico-motor excitability, indexed by changes in MEP amplitude.

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