Basic study on the influence of inhibition induced by the magnetic stimulation on the peripheral nerve

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the inhibition mechanism of magnetic stimulation on motor function. A magnetic stimulator with a flat figure-eight coil was used to stimulate the peripheral nerve of the antebrachium. The intensity of magnetic stimulation was 0.8 T, and the stimulation frequency was 1 Hz. The amplitudes of the motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) at the abductor pollicis brevis muscle and first dorsal interosseous muscle were used to evaluate the effects of magnetic stimulation. The effects of magnetic stimulation were evaluated by analyzing the MEP amplitude before and after magnetic stimulation to the primary motor cortex. The results showed that MEP amplitude after magnetic stimulation compared with before magnetic stimulation decreased. Because there were individual differences in MEP amplitude induced by magnetic stimulation, the MEP amplitude after stimulation was normalized by the amplitude of each participant before stimulation. The MEP amplitude after stimulation decreased by approximately 58% (p < 0.01) on average compared with before stimulation. Previous studies suggested that magnetic stimulation to the primary motor cortex induced an increase or a decrease in MEP amplitude. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that the alteration in MEP amplitude was induced by cortical excitability based on magnetic stimulation. The results of this study showed that MEP amplitude decreased following magnetic stimulation to the peripheral nerve. We suggest that the decrease in MEP amplitude found in this study was obtained via the feedback from a peripheral nerve through an afferent nerve to the brain. This study suggests that peripheral excitement by magnetic stimulation of the peripheral nerve may control the central nervous system via afferent feedback.