Changes in Cortical Oscillations Induced by Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Therapy in Patient Populations With Tremor
Changes in Cortical Oscillations Induced by Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Therapy in Patient Populations With Tremor
The study will include subjects diagnosed with Dystonic Tremor (DT), Essential Tremor (ET), and healthy controls in the age range of 21-80 years. Electroencephalography (EEG) will be used as the primary outcome measure. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) will be used over the motor cortices or cerebellar cortices as an intervention that is expected to have short-term (less than an hour) electrophysiological effects.
The primary goal of this study is to compare differences in cortical activity of patients with tremor before and after applying a session of rTMS. Specifically, the investigators will apply rTMS to the primary motor cortex (M1) as our group and others have shown abnormal function of the region. Moreover, a study shows that targeting of M1 and the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC) with rTMS results in a trend towards improved clinical outcome in patients with focal hand dystonia and cervical dystonia. The central hypothesis of this study is that rTMS can modify cortical oscillations in patient populations with tremor and that the investigators will be able to detect these changes with the use of Electroencephalography (EEG). By applying inhibitory rTMS to the motor cortices, the investigators may expect a shift in cortical oscillations towards normal activity.
Inclusion Criteria for Dystonia and/or tremor:
- Diagnosis of Dystonia and/or tremor according to the Consensus Statement of the Movement Disorders Society
Exclusion Criteria Dystonia and/or tremor:
Inclusion Criteria for Healthy controls
- There is no history of any neurological disorders.
Exclusion Criteria for Healthy controls