The physiological basis of transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is the noninvasive method of choice for studying the causal relevance of a cortical area in the human brain. The success of TMS, however, is contrasted by limited insight into its mechanism of action. A recent study by Allen and colleagues offers stunning new insight into the physiological underpinnings of TMS. Their findings expand our understanding about a method that is widely used for stimulating research in the cognitive neurosciences.
Bestmann
Sven
S
Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College, London, WC1N 3BG, UK. s.bestmann@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation