Abstract #0958

Influence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on functional connectivity and hemodynamics in the rat brain

Julia Boonzaier¹, Geralda A. F. van Tilborg¹, Mark J.R.J. Bouts^2,3,4, Petar P.I. Petrov⁵, Caroline L. van Heijningen¹, Gerard van Vliet¹, Annette van der Toorn¹, Sebastiaan F.W. Neggers⁵, and Rick M. Dijkhuizen¹

¹Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, ²Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands, ³Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands, ⁴Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands, ⁵Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique with the ability to change cortical excitability, however its precise mechanism of action is not completely understood. Therefore, by acquiring resting-state fMRI and perfusion MRI data we assessed the influence of unilateral low-frequency (inhibitory) rTMS on functional connectivity and hemodynamics in stimulated cortical tissue in rats. After four consecutive days of rTMS we measured reduced interhemispheric functional connectivity between homotopic sensorimotor regions, while cerebral blood flow remained largely unaffected. This reduction in interhemispheric functional connectivity may be due to the inhibitory effect of low-frequency rTMS on cortical excitability.

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