Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex Modulates Perception of the Tendon Vibration Illusion

Abstract

The effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on kinesthetic perception, when applied to the somatosensory cortex, was examined. Further, the facilitatory and inhibitory effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation using different stimulation frequencies were tested. Six female ( M age = 32.0 years, SD = 6.7) and nine male ( M age = 32.9 years, SD = 6.6) participants were asked to perceive the tendon vibration illusion of the left wrist joint and to replicate the illusion with their right hand. When comparing changes in the corresponding movement amplitude and velocity after three different repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protocols (sham, 1 Hz inhibitory, and 5 Hz facilitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation), the movement amplitude was found to decrease with the inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, while the movement velocity respectively increased and decreased with the facilitatory and inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. These results confirmed the modulating effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on kinesthetic perception in a single experimental paradigm.