NIBS fundamentals

Overview of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques: The different NIBS techniques are introduced: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial electric stimulation (tES), and transcranial ultrasonic stimulation (TUS). The goal of this lecture is to provide a bird’s eye view of the principles and applications of NIBS.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to briefly describe the different NIBS techniques and their potential applications.

This lecture uses examples from the literature to demonstrate how NIBS can be used to make causal inferences, and for therapeutic interventions. Additionally, the importance of choosing optimal brain targets, and the different ways to define such targets are discussed. The goal of this lecture is illustrate the potential of NIBS for making causal inferences in basic science applications and for therapeutic interventions in clinical settings.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to articulate how NIBS

The effects of stimulating a focal brain target, depend not only on the state of the target but also on the state of the circuits or networks to which the target belongs. Conversely, the effects of stimulating a focal brain target are not limited to the target alone, and can instead influence the entire circuit to which the target belongs. The goal of this lecture is to demonstrate state dependent circuit level effects of NIBS, and illustrate how such effects can be leveraged for both basic science and clinical applications.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to explain the theory behind circuit interventions, and apply these principles for planning NIBS studies.

This lecture introduces the principles of plasticity including spike-timing-dependent, dose-dependent, and homeostatic plasticity, and discusses the neural underpinnings of plasticity. Finally, examples from the literature are used to demonstrate the use of NIBS for inducing neuroplastic changes. The goal of this lecture is to illustrate the interactions between NIBS protocols and neurophysiology that can lead to neuroplastic effects.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to explain the principles underlying the neuroplastic effects of NIBS, and apply these principles for planning NIBS studies.

This lecture uses examples from the literature to demonstrate how the underlying brain state at the time of stimulation influences NIBS effects. Different factors that influence brain state including anaesthesia, sleep/ awake state and attention are discussed. The goal of this lecture is to illustrate the strong influence of brain state on NIBS effects, and consequent variability in outcomes if brain state is not controlled or accounted for.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to recognize the importance of controlling or accounting for brain state in NIBS experiments, and apply this knowledge for planning rigorous NIBS experiments.

This lecture lays out the framework for discussing NIBS effects in the context of safety. Specifically, the primary (intended) and secondary effects are distinguished, with a further classification of secondary effects as related, suspected, or unrelated to the stimulation. The commonly reported secondary effects of the different NIBS techniques are discussed within the aforementioned framework. The goal of this lecture is to illustrate what constitutes a secondary effect, and enable students to identify adverse events.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to classify the various secondary physiological effects of NIBS, critically appraise those effects which represent a safety concern, or confound research outcomes.

This lecture discusses each item on a screening questionnaire used for assessing whether participants are eligible for negligible risk NIBS experiments. The goal of this lecture is to enable students to screen potential participants for safety-related (not study-related) exclusion criteria for NIBS experiments.

At the end of this lecture, students will be able to screen potential participants and assess their eligibility for a negligible risk NIBS experiment.