Co-registration of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and transcranial magnetic stimulation

Antoine Hone-Blanchet; Rachel E Salas; Pablo Celnik; Aadi Kalloo; Michael Schar; Nicolaas A J Puts; Ashley D Harris; Peter B Barker; Shirley Fecteau; Christopher J Earley; Richard P Allen; Richard A Edden

doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.12.018

Co-registration of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and transcranial magnetic stimulation

J Neurosci Methods. 2015 Mar 15:242:52-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.12.018. Epub 2015 Jan 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, QC, Canada. Electronic address: antoine.hone-blanchet.1@ulaval.ca.
² Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ FM Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁶ Laboratory of Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, QC, Canada; Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MS, USA.

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a widely used tool for noninvasive modulation of brain activity, that is thought to interact primarily with excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. Neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA can be measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). An important prerequisite for studying the relationship between MRS neurotransmitter levels and responses to TMS is that both modalities should examine the same regions of brain tissue. However, co-registration of TMS and MRS has been little studied to date. This study reports on a procedure for the co-registration and co-visualization of MRS and TMS, successfully localizing the hand motor cortex, as subsequently determined by its functional identification using TMS. Sixteen healthy subjects took part in the study; in 14 of 16 subjects, the TMS determined location of motor activity intersected the (2.5cm)(3) voxel selected for MRS, centered on the so called 'hand knob' of the precentral gyrus. It is concluded that MRS voxels placed according to established anatomical landmarks in most cases agree well with functional determination of the motor cortex by TMS. Reasons for discrepancies are discussed.

Keywords: Co-registration; Co-visualization; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain Mapping / methods
Feasibility Studies
Female
Hand / physiology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods*
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Activity / physiology
Motor Cortex / physiology
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding