TMS and TMS-EEG studies on the excitability, connectivity and plasticity of the human motor cortex
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis, consisting of five original publications (I-V) and a summary, explores the feasibility of combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) for the examination of the cortical excitability and connectivity of the human cerebral cortex, both in healthy and pathological condition.It addresses some issues crucial for a better elucidation of the mechanisms underlying human brain neuroplasticity.The series of studies clearly demonstrated that TMS -with or without EEG-is a sensitive and objective measure of the effect of different kinds of non-invasive manipulation of the brain's activity.Moreover TMS and TMS-EEG co-registration are valuable methods to study cortical excitability, connectivity and functional organization in healthy subjects and neurological patients such as Alzheimer's disease patients.They are along with clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging data inexpensive measures of disease progression, supplementing traditional methods to assess the effects of therapies.Taken together, the findings presented in this thesis are important for the adoption of the TMS and TMS-EEG co-registration techniques as a tool for basic neurophysiological research and, in the future, even for clinical diagnostics purposes.
Author: Florinda Ferreri
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3094860520