The effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on movement selection.
OBJECTIVE
To attempt to replicate previous findings that showed an influence of transcranial magnetic stimulation of the cortical motor areas on the selection of motor programmes on the contralateral side.


METHODS
Healthy volunteers were asked to choose to make a right or left index finger extension movement freely after hearing the click produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. The stimulation was applied to the motor areas (test), including the motor cortex, vertex, and prefrontal cortex, and in the air (control).


RESULTS
There was no preference for choosing the hand contralateral to the stimulation site, in either test or control trials.


CONCLUSIONS
Previous results could not be reproduced. Simple magnetic stimulation of the motor areas is insufficient to affect voluntary selection of movement.
Sohn
Y H
YH
Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Kaelin-Lang
A
A
Hallett
M
M
D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation