Θ-burst stimulation and striatal plasticity in experimental parkinsonism.

Authors :: Ghiglieri V
Pendolino V
Sgobio C
Bagetta V
Picconi B
Calabresi P
Source :: Experimental neurology [Exp Neurol] 2012 Aug; Vol. 236 (2), pp. 395-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 May 01.
Publication Year :: 2012
Abstract: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in humans increases levels of dopamine (DA) in the vicinity of highly active corticostriatal terminals suggesting its use to alleviate symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effects of rTMS on corticostriatal plasticity have not been explored. Here we show that a single-session of cortical rTMS using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) pattern increases striatal excitability and rescues corticostriatal long-term depression (LTD) in a significant number of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) recorded from hemiparkinsonian rats. These data indicate that cortical iTBS affects neuronal activity of subcortical regions, providing experimental evidence for its use in clinical settings.<br /> (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)