Degree
Master of Science
Program
Neuroscience
Supervisor
Dr. Brian D. Corneil
Abstract
The indirect effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) within a distributed neural network are still largely unknown. Here we propose to use the non-human primate (NHP) oculomotor system as an animal model for investigating the effects of TMS. Across three animals, single pulses of TMS to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), including the frontal eye fields (FEF), reliably evoked a contralateral head turning synergy, similar to what is seen following intracortical microstimulation. Furthermore, double pulses of TMS paired with the memory-guided saccade paradigm only evoked neck muscle activity preceding contralateral saccades, showing similar state-dependency as previously observed in human TMS studies. These results indicate that the NHP oculomotor system is a feasible model to study the distributed effects of TMS outside of the stimulated area, and motivates future studies pairing TMS and neurophysiological recordings.
Recommended Citation
Gu, Chao, "Spatial and state-dependent effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation of prefrontal cortex in non-human primates" (2014). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 2113.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/2113