Exploring the Parameter Space of High Frequency Magnetic Perturbation in Manipulating Neural Excitability and Plasticity.

项目摘要/摘要 无创脑刺激在认知神经科学领域引起了极大的兴趣。 社区，为研究脑功能提供了重要的基础研究工具，并正在出现临床应用 以增强患有神经疾病的个体的功能。尽管有这种潜力，一种新兴的文学已经 强调了对经颅电刺激(TES)的可靠性和稳健性的关注，TES是主要的 NIBS方法通过应用阈值下刺激诱导脑可塑性的改变。 这些问题很可能与这样一个事实有关，即TES系统只能产生适度的电场(电场) 在皮质表面，由于安全性/耐受性问题限制了可提供的TES刺激的强度 在头皮上。我们开发了一种全新的NIBS方法，在这种方法中，神经元的亚阈值调制 兴奋性是通过千赫频率的振荡磁场带来的。本系统，简称kTMP (khz经颅磁扰)显著增加亚阈值电场感应的范围，以及 通过调制KHz载波频率的包络，可以在生理上施加电场 频率。为期三年的资助期将用于与人类参与者进行测试，以评估 该系统在引起皮质生理和行为改变方面的耐受性和有效性。如果我们的 预期得到证实，该系统将引入一种强大的新方法来调节神经兴奋性 因此，为临床医生提供了一种治疗神经疾病的有前途的新干预措施。

Project Summary/Abstract Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has attracted considerable interest in the cognitive neuroscience community, providing an important basic research tool to study brain function, with emerging clinical applications to enhance function in individuals with neurological disorders. Despite this potential, an emerging literature has highlighted concerns regarding the reliability and robustness of transcranial electric stimulation (tES), the primary NIBS method used to induce changes in brain plasticity through the application of subthreshold stimulation. These problems are likely related to the fact that tES systems can only induce modest electrical fields (E-field) at the cortical surface given that safety/tolerance issues limit the intensity of tES stimulation that can be delivered at the scalp. We developed a radically new NIBS approach, one in which subthreshold modulation of neural excitability is brought about via oscillating magnetic fields at kHZ frequencies. This system, referred to kTMP (kHz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation) significantly increases the range of subthreshold E-field induction, and through modulation of the envelope of the kHz carrier frequency, can impose E-fields at physiological relevant frequencies. The three-year funding period will be used to conduct testing with human participants to assess the tolerability and efficacy of the system in producing changes in cortical physiology and behavior. If our expectations are confirmed, this system will introduce a powerful new method for modulating neural excitability and as such, provide clinicians with a promising new intervention in the treatment of neurological disorders.