Neuromodulation

At the INM-3, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is applied in healthy participants and patients to modulate neural excitability. This in turn influences behavioral performance. Therefore, NIBS can be used to study the functional involvement of a given brain area in a specific (experimental) task or (cognitive) process.

Current NIBS methods (like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation [TMS] or transcranial Direct Current Stimulation [tDCS]) utilize electric currents that are applied to the brain.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) induces electric currents in the brain by rapidly changing magnetic fields. These magnetic fields are generated in a coil that is positioned on the scalp above the brain region of interest.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability by the application of weak electrical currents delivered to the brain area of interest via electrodes on the scalp.

Both TMS and tDCS are used for neuroscientific as well as clinical research.

Studies combining TMS and tDCS with other brain imaging and neurophysiologic mapping methods (for example, functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI], positron emission tomography [PET], or electroencephalography [EEG]) promise to provide valuable insights into network changes underlying behavioral adjustments.