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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Karen Fisher, Dr Ming Lai, Dr Bob Bicker, Professor Stuart BakerORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
The study was conducted to investigate the difference between Han Chinese and Caucasians on various parameters measured from responses to transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS). Sixteen subjects were studied in each group. A circular coil at the vertex was used for stimulation, whilst recording surface electromyograms from right first dorsal interosseous. In the passive state, motor-evoked potential (MEP) threshold, MEP recruitment, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation were measured. The MEP threshold, recruitment and silent period were also measured in the active state. Chinese subjects showed significantly higher passive thresholds (P < 0.005), less inhibition of the motor response (SICI, P < 0.0005) and a shorter silent period (P < 0.05). Differences in SICI appeared to be a consequence of the differences in passive threshold and were not seen when active threshold was used to determine the conditioning stimulus intensity. Differences in silent period may also reflect differences in cortical excitability rather than inhibitory processes, as they were not seen when the silent-period duration was expressed as a function of MEP size, rather than TMS intensity. There appears to be a significant difference in some TMS parameters between Han Chinese and Caucasian subjects. This may reflect an underlying difference in cortical excitability.
Author(s): Yi X, Fisher KM, Lai M, Mansoor K, Bicker R, Baker SN
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Experimental Brain Research
Year: 2014
Volume: 232
Issue: 2
Pages: 545-553
Print publication date: 15/11/2013
Online publication date: 15/11/2013
Acceptance date: 01/11/2013
Date deposited: 17/04/2014
ISSN (print): 0014-4819
ISSN (electronic): 1432-1106
Publisher: Springer
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3763-2
DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3763-2
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