Baycrest Centre - Baycrest

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. It induces an electrical current in targeted areas of the brain. TMS can be used to study brain function by probing how stimulation influences behaviour when applied to specific places at specific times. The brain’s responses to TMS can be affected by certain neurological disorders, allowing researchers to track their severity and assess the impact of treatments.

When repeated over many days, brain stimulation can cause a long-lasting change in brain function and can be used therapeutically to treat disorders. TMS has achieved mainstream medical use in the treatment of depression and is under active investigation for the treatment of movement disorders, stroke, dementia and other conditions. TMS can also be used with transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS), a simpler and more portable technology with more potential for at-home use. Scientists at Baycrest are pioneering the use of this technique to target aphasia in recovering stroke patients.

The TMS lab includes the following specific equipment:
- TMS – Magstim Super Rapid Plus stimulator for rTMS, theta burst and other repetitive paradigms
- Magstim Bistim for paired-pulse and single-pulse experiments
- Brainsight Neuronavigation system
- Brainsway H1-coil deep TMS (dTMS) system – used in current studies of experimental treatment of depression and dementia
- HD-TDCS: Neuroconn 8-channel stimulator, also equipped for TACS, TRNS and custom waveform delivery – MRI and MEG compatible
TMS-compatible EEG system: Truscan, 128-channel, simultaneous measurement capability.

EMG acquisition system for motor-related studies.