Transcranial magnetic stimulation in sensorimotor processes

本设备申请是为了支持购买单脉冲经颅磁刺激（TMS）系统，供神经行为（主任：Matthew Heath博士）和神经血管（主任：Kevin Shoemaker博士）实验室（西安大略大学健康科学学院运动机修学学院）共享使用。每个实验室的中心主题是了解人类意志运动的感觉运动调节背后的皮层目标。单脉冲经颅磁刺激系统将为每个实验室提供有价值的补充，因为它将赋予在健康个体的大脑中安全制造短暂“虚拟损伤”的能力。特别是，虚拟损伤技术将提供一种直接的方法来理解特定皮层目标调节目标导向行为（例如，伸手和抓握：神经行为实验室）的感觉运动过程的时间框架，以及影响由自主运动引起的神经血管反应（例如，心率：神经血管实验室）。事实上，通过结合现有的研究工具，如离线神经成像、三维运动分析和超声成像，神经行为和神经血管实验室的经颅磁刺激工作将为研究广泛的人类活动背后的皮层机制和感觉运动过程提供机会。

This equipment request is to support the purchase of a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) system for shared use in the Neurobehavioural (Director: Dr. Matthew Heath) and Neurovascular (Director: Dr. Kevin Shoemaker) Labs (School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Univ. of Western Ontario). The central theme of each lab is to understand the cortical targets underlying the sensorimotor regulation of volitional human movement. A single-pulse TMS system will provide a valuable addition to each lab because it will impart the ability to safely create transient "virtual lesions" in the brains of otherwise healthy individuals. In particular, the virtual lesion technique will provide a direct means for understanding the timeframe by which specific cortical targets regulate the sensorimotor processes underlying goal-directed behaviour (e.g., reaching and grasping: Neurobehavioural Lab) as well as influence the neurovascular responses (e.g., heart rate: Neurovascular Lab) arising from voluntary movement. Indeed, by combining existing research tools such as offline neuroimaging, three-dimensional motion analysis, and ultrasound imaging, TMS work in the Neurobehavioural and Neurovascular Labs will provide the opportunity to examine the cortical mechanisms and sensorimotor processes underlying a broad range of human activities.