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.