Examining short interval intracortical inhibition with different transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced current directions in ALS

Abstract

ObjectiveTo establish if induced current direction across the motor cortex alters the sensitivity of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-evoked short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) as an ALS biomarker. MethodsThreshold tracking-TMS was undertaken in 35 people with ALS and 39 controls. Using a coil orientation which induces posterior-anterior (PA)-directed current across the motor cortex, SICI (1 ms and 3 ms interstimulus intervals) and intracortical facilitation (ICF, 10 ms interstimulus interval) were recorded. SICI3ms was also recorded using a coil orientation which induces anterior-posterior (AP)-directed current across the motor cortex. ResultsAt group level, SICI3ms-PA (AUROC = 0.7), SICI3ms-AP (AUROC = 0.8) and SICI1ms (AUROC = 0.66) were substantially lower in those with ALS, although there was considerable interindividual heterogeneity. Averaging across interstimulus intervals (ISIs) marginally improved SICIPA sensitivity (AUROC = 0.76). Averaging SICI values across ISIs and orientations into a single SICI measure did not substantially improve sensitivity (AUROC = 0.81) compared to SICI3ms-AP alone. SICI3ms-AP and SICI3ms-PA did not significantly correlate (rho = 0.19, p = 0.313), while SICI1ms-PA and SICI3ms-PA did (rho = 0.37, p = 0.006). Further, those with ALS with the lowest SICI3ms-PA were not those with the lowest SICI3ms-AP. ICF was similar between groups (AUROC = 0.50). ConclusionsSICIPA and SICIAP are uncorrelated measures of motor cortical inhibitory functions which are useful as distinct, unequally affected, measures of disinhibition in ALS. SignificanceExamining both SICIPA and SICIAP may facilitate more comprehensive characterisation of motor cortical disinhibition in ALS.