A transcranial magnetic stimulation setup for animal research

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Non-invasive brain stimulation methods (NIBS) have transformed our capacity to study the brain. In particular, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques can be used to modulate neural activity of specific brain areas, allowing us to study how various brain areas interact and to probe their role in behavior. While these promising new techniques are widely used in humans, we have a poor understanding of their mechanisms of action because few laboratories have the ability to test them on animal models. Yet, there is an urgent need to compare the effects of TMS with those obtained using invasive methods. At the Pavillon Desmarais of the Université de Montréal, we have a very strong group of systems scientists interested in studying the neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor and decision-making behaviors. While we use invasive techniques (e.g. microstimulation, recording of neural activity, etc.) in our animal models, our questions are very close to those of many scientists using TMS in humans. We are thus in a strategic position to incorporate the use of TMS in our respective experiments and to combine it with our invasive methods. The results would fill major gaps in our fields of research and allow us to become leaders in using these combined approaches (TMS and invasive methods). Consequently, this proposal requests funds to acquire a state-of-the-art TMS setup, adapted to our animal models. In particular, this equipment will allow us to conduct paired-pulse or ‘dual-site’ stimulation protocols to study questions related to cortical interactions for the control of hand movement (Dancause) and decision making (Cisek). In addition, the use of high-frequency repetitive TMS will allow us to modulate specific brain and spinal circuits in order to probe their contribution to decision-making (Cisek), reaching (Green) and locomotor (Martinez) behavior. This equipment, by complementing our current set of experiments, will rapidly expand our respective research programs. The data obtained with our TMS experiments will provide new knowledge that will directly impact the large community of systems scientists interested in the neural mechanisms underlying behavior, putting us at the forefront of our research fields. These experiments will additionally provide new insights into the mechanisms of action of TMS techniques, which are commonly used in human studies of motor control and decision-making.