CO-REGISTRATION OF CORTICAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION AND FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

FUNCTIONAL magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are non-invasive techniques recently used to invest igate cortical motor physiology. However, these modalities measure dif ferent phenomena, and in studies of human motor control they have give n inconsistent results. We have developed a reproducible technique whi ch co-registers TMS and fMRI, using a frameless method. In four normal subjects, the TMS map and fMRI activation were present on the primary motor cortex contralateral to the target hand, with some extension in to primary sensory cortex, fMRI activation alone was also present in t he medial motor cortex bilaterally and in the sensorimotor cortex ipsi lateral to the target hand. This technique allows a more comprehensive evaluation of the physiologic events involved in motor control. (C) 1 998 Rapid Science Ltd.