Corticospinal volleys evoked by transcranial stimulation of the brain in conscious humans

Abstract

The direct recording in conscious humans of corticospinal volleys evoked by different magnetic and electric techniques of transcranial stimulation demonstrates that it is possible to activate neurones of the motor cortex in several different ways. Lateral electrical stimulation of the motor cortex preferentially activates the axons of corticospinal neurones in the subcortical white matter, and evokes a D-wave in pyramidal tract. The way of activation of corticospinal neurones using magnetic stimulation depends on the direction of the electrical current induced in the brain and on the shape of the coil. Monophasic magnetic stimulation with a focal figure-of-eight coil inducing posterior–anterior current in the brain activates corticospinal neurones trans-synaptically recruiting an I1-wave, with later I-waves appearing in sequence at higher intensities and a D-wave at very high intensities. If the induced current is rotated to the anterior–posterior direction late I-waves are preferentially recruited and when a D-wave is recruited, it has a later onset than the electrical D-wave, suggesting an activation nearer the cell body of the pyramidal neurones. A latero–medial induced current activates both corticospinal axons at the same point as electrical stimulation evoking a D wave and cortico–cortical axons evoking I-waves. A nonfocal large circular coil centered at the vertex is capable of activating pyramidal neurones both at the initial segment and transsynaptically evoking a D wave with a longer latency than the electrical D-wave and I-waves. Using a biphasic magnetic stimulation, both phases of the biphasic pulse are capable of activating descending motor output and the pattern of recruitment of descending activity depends on the intensity of the stimulus and the relative threshold of each volley to each direction of current flow.