Methods and systems for using transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional brain mapping for examining cortical sensitivity, brain communication, and effects of medication

• US 20060241374A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MUSC Foundation For Research Development (State of South Carolina)
• Original Assignee: MUSC Foundation For Research Development (State of South Carolina)
• Inventors: George, Mark S, Bohning, Daryl E, Nahas, Ziad
• Application Number:
  US10/535,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4806 Functional imaging of brain activation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4808 Multimodal MR, e.g. MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET], MR combined with ultrasound or MR combined with computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is interleaved with functional brain imaging to examine cortex sensitivity and brain communication and to determine efficacy of medication.

Claims

1. A method for examining cortical sensitivity of a subject, comprising:

applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to one or more regions of the brain of a subject;

synchronizing functional brain imaging with the application of the TMS pulses;

determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of one or more brain regions to the application of the TMS pulses based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging; and

determining cortical sensitivity over substantially the entire brain cortex of the subject based on the BOLD response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the TMS pulses are electrical impulses separated by a variable interstimulus interval (ISI).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining a BOLD response includes using a modulation of the BOLD response amplitude as a function of the ISI between pairs of TMS pulses to test intracortical inhibition and facilitation over the entire brain cortex.

5. A method for examining brain communication in a subject, comprising:

applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to stimulate one or more regions of the brain of the subject;

synchronizing functional brain mapping with the application of the TMS pulses;

determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of one or more brain regions to the application of the TMS pulses based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging; and

examining brain communication based on the BOLD response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the function brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the TMS pulses are electrical impulses seperated by a variable interstimulus interval (ISI).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the BOLD response includes using a modulation of the BOLD response amplitude as a function of the ISI between pairs of TMS pulses to examine brain communication at high time resolution.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein brain communication is examined at time resolutions an order of magnitude greater than that of the hemodynamic response of the subject.

10. A system for examining cortical sensitivity of a subject, comprising:

means for applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to one or more regions of the brain of a subject;

means for synchronizing functional brain imaging with the application of the TMS pulses;

means for determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of one or more brain regions to the TMS pulses based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging; and

means for examining cortical sensitivity over the entire brain cortex based on the BOLD response.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the functional brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the TMS pulses include electrical impulses seperated by a variable interstimulus interval (ISI).

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a modulation of the BOLD response amplitude as a function of the ISI between pairs of TMS pulses is used to examinae intracortical inhibition and facilitation over substantially the entire brain cortex of the subject.

14. A system for examining brain communication, comprising:

means for applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to stimulate one or more regions of the brain of the subject;

means for synchronizing functional brain imaging with the application of the TMS pulses;

means for determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of one or more brain regions to based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging; and

means for examining brain communication based on the BOLD response.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the functional brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the TMS pulses include electrical impulses seperated by a variable interstimulus interval (ISI).

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a modulation of the BOLD response amplitude as a function of the ISI between pairs of TIMS pulses is used to examine brain communication at high time resolution.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein brain communication is examined at time resolutions an order of magnitude greater than that of the hemodynamic response.

19. A method for examining medication effects on the brain of a subject, comprising:

applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to one or more regions of the brain of the subject to which medications have been given;

synchronizing functional brain imaging with the application of the TMS pulses; and

examining medication effects on the brain based on the synchronized images produced by the functional brain imaging.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the functional brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of examining medication effects includes determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of one or more brain regions to the TMS pulses based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of examining includes examining effects of the medication on a resting motor threshold of the pataient.

23. The method of claim 19, wherien the TMS pulses are applied to at least one of motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex of the brain of the subject.

24. The method of calim 19, wherein the medication includes at least one of a central nervous system (CNS) active compound and a placebo.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the medication includes lamotrigine (LTG).

26. A system for examinnig effects of medicaiton on the brain of a subject, comprising:

means for applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses over one or more regions of the brain of a subject to which medication has been given;

synchronizing functional brain imaging with the application of the TMS pulses to produce images; and

examining effects of medication on the one or more regions of the brain based on the synchronized images produced by the functional brain imaging.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the functional brain imaging is performed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the step of examining effects includes determining a blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response of the one or more brain regions to the application of the TMS pulses based on the images produced by the functional brain imaging.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the step of examining includes examining resting motor threshold of the subject.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the TMS is applied to at least one of the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

31. The system of calim 26, wherien the medication includes at least one of a central nervous system (CNS) active compound and a placebo.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the medication includes LTG.