Motor evoked potentials

Noninvasive electrical stimulation of the human brain first was attempted in the 1950s. In the early 1980s, the first clinical application method of transcranial electrical stimulation was developed. Investigators in the mid-1980s showed that it was possible to stimulate the nerve and the brain using external magnetic stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS]), with little or no pain. TMS now is used commonly in clinical neurology to study central motor conduction time. Depending on the stimulation techniques and parameters, TMS can excite or inhibit brain activity, allowing functional mapping of cortical regions and creation of transient functional lesions. It now is used widely as a research tool to study aspects of human brain physiology, including motor function and the pathophysiology of various brain disorders.