Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Jan;133(1):98-107.
doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2011.09.003. Epub 2011 Sep 7.

Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation: therapeutic promises and scientific gaps

Eric M Wassermann  1 , Trelawny Zimmermann
Affiliations
Review

Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation: therapeutic promises and scientific gaps

Eric M Wassermann et al. Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Since its commercial advent in 1985, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a technique for stimulating neurons in the cerebral cortex through the scalp, safely and with minimal discomfort, has captured the imaginations of scientists, clinicians and lay observers. Initially a laboratory tool for neurophysiologists studying the human motor system, TMS now has a growing list of applications in clinical and basic neuroscience. Although we understand many of its effects at the system level, detailed knowledge of its actions, particularly as a modulator of neural activity, has lagged, due mainly to the lack of suitable non-human models. Nevertheless, these gaps have not blocked the therapeutic application of TMS in brain disorders. Moderate success has been achieved in treating disorders such as depression, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a TMS system for therapeutic use. In addition, there are small, but promising, bodies of data on the treatment of schizophrenic auditory hallucinations, tinnitus, anxiety disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, hemiparesis, and pain syndromes. Some other nascent areas of study also exist. While the fate of TMS as a therapeutic modality depends on continued innovation and experimentation, economic and other factors may be decisive.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The effect of a short train of high frequency rTMS on MEP amplitude. Baseline MEP amplitude is measured by giving test stimuli, once every 10 s; then a 2 s train of 20 Hz rTMS is delivered (arrow). After a brief pause, test stimulation is resumed every 10 s. MEP amplitude is shown on the y-axis.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The effect of low frequency rTMS on MEP amplitude. In the first panel, test stimuli are delivered every 10 s (0.1 Hz). Then rTMS is delivered at 1 Hz (second panel); MEP amplitude decreases gradually during the stimulus train. 0.1 Hz stimuli are then resumed (third panel) and MEPs remain suppressed. The sequence of traces is from top to bottom in each panel.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abraham WC, Bear MF. Metaplasticity: the plasticity of synaptic plasticity. Trends Neurosci. 1996;19:126–130. - PubMed
    1. Alonso P, Pujol J, Cardoner N, Benlloch L, Deus J, Menchon JM, Capdevila A, Vallejo J. Right prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158:1143–1145. - PubMed
    1. Amassian VE, Cracco RQ, Maccabee PJ, Cracco JB, Rudell AP, Eberle L. Transcranial magnetic stimulation in study of the visual pathway. J Clin Neurophysiol. 1998;15:288–304. - PubMed
    1. Amassian VE, Eberle L, Maccabee PJ, Cracco RQ. Modelling magnetic coil excitation of human cerebral cortex with a peripheral nerve immersed in a brain-shaped volume conductor: the significance of fiber bending in excitation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1992;85:291–301. - PubMed
    1. Andreasen NC, O’Leary DS, Flaum M, Nopoulos P, Watkins GL, Boles Ponto LL, Hichwa RD. Hypofrontality in schizophrenia: distributed dysfunctional circuits in neuroleptic-naive patients. Lancet. 1997;349:1730–1734. - PubMed

Publication types