Stimulus strength related effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on maximal voluntary contraction force of human quadriceps femoris muscle

It is well accepted that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can modulate motor cortex excitability long after application. Furthermore, a positive TMS effect on the ability to perform a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the quadriceps femoris muscle has been described. However, stimulus strength dependence and duration of this effect are currently unknown. In the present study these parameters of the TMS-induced MVC enhancement were investigated in seven healthy subjects. Initially, three repetitive transcranial magnetic stimuli of varying stimulus strength were applied every 4 s either during MVC or relaxation. Thereafter, MVC and the ability to activate the quadriceps muscle voluntarily (voluntary activation) were determined using a sensitive twitch interpolation technique. In a second experiment we investigated the effect of three transcranial magnetic stimuli applied either during MVC or during relaxation on MVC over a time period of 30 min. There was a small but significant and stimulus strength related positive effect of TMS on MVC. The effect of TMS on voluntary activation was not significant. TMS had to be given during MVC to be effective and the positive effect of TMS when applied during MVC was still present after 30 min. These results indicate that TMS acts differently on the motor cortex depending on its activation status. TMS might have potential therapeutic applications in diseases associated with diminished cortical motor drive and subsequent muscle weakness.