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Effects of alcohol on TMS-evoked N100 responses

Authors :
Seppo Kähkönen
Juha Wilenius
Source :
Journal of neuroscience methods. 166(1)
Publication Year :
2006

Abstract

TMS combined with simultaneous EEG is a novel brain imaging tool allowing investigation local excitability of human cortex. As alcohol acts through increasing function of A-type gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors and attenuating the function of glutaminergic NMDA-receptors-related excitation, we tested whether TMS-evoked N100 response which is thought to reflect cortical inhibitory processes, might be affected by alcohol. Ten healthy subjects ingested alcohol (0.8 g/kg) and EEG responses from 60 channels before and after alcohol ingestion were recorded after left motor-cortex stimulation. Alcohol almost abolished TMS-evoked N100 response. Control experiments with a piece of plastic placed between the head and coil to exclude auditory artefacts were conducted. Alcohol effects were similar when EEG responses from control experiments were subtracted from real-TMS. Alcohol-induced decrease was similar at ipsilateral, contralateral and frontal EEG sites suggesting that alcohol may change cortico-cortical connectivity of motor cortex. Alternative explanation is that alcohol has overall suppression effect on motor cortex. N100 may provide a useful marker of neural inhibition of human cortex for drug research.

Details

ISSN :
01650270
Volume :
166
Issue :
1
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of neuroscience methods
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....790a07dd6a6d1aa3b8c8045f46da0ef2