Measuring the Contralateral Silent Period Induced by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Source: Rebello-Sanchez, I., et al. Measuring Contralateral Silent Period Induced by Single-Pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Investigate M1 Corticospinal Inhibition. J. Vis. Exp. (2022). This video demonstrates a technique for measuring the contralateral silent period (cSP) using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Position the patient's hand prone and place an electrode on the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Then, place a force-measuring device between the thumb and index finger. Identify the primary motor cortex (M1) region of the brain. Maintain a standardized pressure on the force-measuring device and stimulate the M1 region to record the muscle activity, termed the motor-evoked potential (MEP), followed by the subsequent period of reduced muscle activity, termed cSP.