Mapping the Human Brain Circuitry and Function through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Electroencephalography

通过经颅磁刺激结合脑电图绘制人脑回路和功能

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-05783
• 负责人: Farzan, Faranak
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=763659
• 关键词: Mapping; Human; Brain; Circuitry; Function

The recent global initiatives in mapping the human brain structure and function have created enthusiasm in the scientific community to design innovative technologies to safely and reliably identify metrics of the brain structural and functional health. In the past six years, we have contributed to advancing a scientific approach that involves simultaneous combination of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a non-invasive neural recording method called electroencephalography (EEG). This technique has enabled transferring the investigation of the human brain circuitries from brain slices or animal models to investigation of the brain circuitry from the intact scalp of humans. This combination permits examining the brain circuitries in an input-output (TMS-EEG) manner. When a TMS pulse is delivered to a brain region, it can activate neurons. The parameters of TMS can be chosen to activate a specific circuitry, for example inhibition, the brain braking mechanism. Then, EEG captures the response of this activated circuitry. EEG recordings are analyzed to extract metrics related to integrity of this specific circuitry. By comparing these metrics across different brain regions, individuals or over time, TMS-EEG can allow us to examine and monitor specific brain processes. However, the wide spread application of TMS-EEG as a tool for decoding and monitoring the brain health further relies on validation and standardization of this technique. It has been shown that the brain circuitries change across age and behavioral states such as resting compared to performing a task. Furthermore, EEG signals are multidimensional and several algorithms can be employed to characterize them. Our research program is designed to address these challenges and opportunities. In the next five years, we will contribute to identifying reliable metrics of two key brain processes of inhibition and connectivity across several brain regions and behavioral states in young, middle age and old healthy subjects. In parallel, we advance TMS-EEG tool by developing and refining EEG signal processing algorithms and comparing TMS-EEG with other neuroimaging methods. Our research program will provide important insight into the validity and added value of TMS-EEG as a brain mapping technology. Our program will provide important insight into characteristics of neural inhibition and connectivity across different brain states, taking us a step closer to ultimately obtaining an atlas of the human brain electrical properties and metrics of health. Finally, our program will provide critical evidence in support of the translational value and application of TMS-EEG in various disciplines of basic and cognitive neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, and in guiding the design of inexpensive solutions for monitoring the brain health across the life span in any individual.

最近在绘制人类大脑结构和功能方面的全球倡议在科学界创造了热情，以设计创新技术来安全可靠地识别大脑结构和功能健康的指标。在过去的六年里，我们为推进一种科学方法做出了贡献，该方法涉及同时结合称为经颅磁刺激（TMS）的非侵入性脑刺激技术和称为脑电图（EEG）的非侵入性神经记录方法。该技术使得能够将对人脑电路的研究从脑切片或动物模型转移到对来自人类完整头皮的脑电路的研究。这种组合允许以输入-输出（TMS-EEG）方式检查大脑回路。当TMS脉冲被传递到大脑区域时，它可以激活神经元。可以选择TMS的参数来激活特定的电路，例如抑制，大脑制动机制。然后，脑电图捕捉到这个激活电路的反应。分析EEG记录以提取与该特定电路的完整性相关的度量。通过比较不同大脑区域、个体或时间的这些指标，TMS-EEG可以让我们检查和监测特定的大脑过程。然而，TMS-EEG作为解码和监测大脑健康的工具的广泛应用进一步依赖于该技术的验证和标准化。研究表明，大脑回路会随着年龄和行为状态的变化而变化，例如与执行任务相比，休息。此外，EEG信号是多维的，并且可以采用几种算法来表征它们。我们的研究计划旨在应对这些挑战和机遇。在接下来的五年里，我们将致力于确定年轻，中年和老年健康受试者中几个大脑区域和行为状态的抑制和连接的两个关键大脑过程的可靠指标。同时，我们通过开发和改进脑电信号处理算法，并将TMS-EEG与其他神经成像方法进行比较，来推进TMS-EEG工具。我们的研究计划将提供重要的洞察力的有效性和附加值的TMS-EEG作为一种大脑映射技术。我们的计划将为不同大脑状态的神经抑制和连接特征提供重要的见解，使我们更接近最终获得人类大脑电特性和健康指标的图谱。最后，我们的计划将提供关键证据，支持TMS-EEG在基础和认知神经科学，神经康复的各个学科中的转化价值和应用，并指导设计廉价的解决方案，用于监测任何个体的整个生命周期的大脑健康。