WS2.4. Introduction to rTMS

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that stimulates the brain with the eddy current generated by short of magnetic pulses penetrating through the scalp and skull. Repetitive TMS (TMS) that give TMS pulses repetitively in a train or trains has been noticed to change the cortical excitability outlasting the stimulation periods for minutes to more than an hour. Starting with TMS pulses given at a regular frequency, several forms of rTMS protocol have been developed and applied for research and clinical purposes in the past decades. Different protocols have different effects for enhancing or suppression purposes and different efficiency in time and energy consumption. In this talk, the basic principle, developing strategies, unique features, research and clinical applications of rTMS will be introduced and explained. The audience would have a clear concept of rTMS and knowledge for selecting a suitable rTMS protocol based available equipment and the purposes after this talk.