Affiliations: Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences,
University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia | The Robinson Institute, School of Paediatrics and
Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. Michael C. Ridding, DX 650-517
Obstetrics & Gynaecology-WCH, School of Paediatrics &
Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia. Tel.:
+61 88303 7592; Fax: +61 88313 1315; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), can modify cortical excitability in a
lasting fashion. The modification can be bi-directional in nature and holds
considerable therapeutic promise for a number of neurological conditions.
However, the effectiveness of these techniques is currently limited by large
intra- and inter-subject variability in the response. A number of factors that
contribute to response variability have now been identified, with one of the
most important being the history of synaptic activity within the cortical
region being targeted by stimulation. In this review we discuss what is
currently known about the influence of behaviourally, or experimentally,
induced changes in synaptic activity in the cortical (or interconnected) region
being targeted by stimulation on the response to rTMS techniques. Understanding
such influences is a critical step in the development of effective therapeutic
paradigms employing such techniques.
