title: Impact of one HF-rTMS session on fine motor function in right-handed healthy female subjects: a comparison of stimulation over the left versus the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive tool to investigate neural conduction in motor processes. Most rTMS research has been conducted by targeting the primary motor cortex. Several studies have also found increased psychomotor speed after rTMS of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, these studies were mainly performed in psychiatric patients, only targeting the left DLPFC, and often without sham control. Moreover, psychomotor speed is mostly measured based on tasks that also require higher executive functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we examined the lateralized effect of one sham-controlled high-frequency rTMS session applied to the left or right DLPFC on fine motor function in 36 healthy right-handed females, using the Fitts' paradigm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant improvement in psychomotor speed only after actively stimulating the right DLPFC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the assumption of a right prefrontal neural network implicated in visuomotor behavior and performance processes, and that the improvement in psychomotor speed is not a secondary effect of decreased mood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZ Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. chris.baeken@uzbrussel.be
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baeken
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Schrijvers
authors.forename: B G C
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Sabbe
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vanderhasselt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Raedt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult