Ying Jing | Modeling the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive functions

Project Presentation (internal)

  • Date: Mar 15, 2021
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Ying Jing
  • Methods and Development Group Brain Networks
  • Location: MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
  • Room: Zoom Meeting
  • Host: Methods and Development Group Brain Networks
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Thomas R. Knösche, PD Dr. Gesa Hartwigsen

Background: Biophysical modelling of the induced electric field (E-field) helps to identify the

neural structures that are effectively stimulated by Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

To date, modelling frameworks have been exclusively used to map TMS effects in the primary

motor cortex. The current project aims at transferring this knowledge to cognitive functions

in the healthy human brain, and ultimately develop more effective stimulation approaches.

Methods: We will combine functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), TMS, and

Electroencephalography (EEG) to study attentional processes, i.e., attention orientation

(associated with the dorsal attention network, DAN) and reorientation (regulated by the

ventral attention network, VAN). For modeling of the individual E-field, T1- and T2-weighted

images and diffusion MR images will be collected in all subjects. We aim to (1) elucidate the

functional interaction of the DAN and VAN during attentional orientation and reorientation

by means of effective connectivity analyses of fMRI data. (2) identify optimal TMS targets for

attentional processes in a TMS localization study and verifying these targets in a validation

study. (3) map the immediate consequences of a TMS-induced perturbation through dynamic

causal modeling (DCM) in an online TMS-EEG study. (4) unravel plastic after-effects of

continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on task/resting-related activity and connectivity

patterns through offline TMS-EEG. Expected Results and Impact: We expect that the results

of this project will substantially advance the current knowledge about the neurophysiological

effects of TMS on cognitive functions.
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