CERETEP

Electroencephalographical signatures in cerebral cortex evoked by cerebellar transcranial magnetic stimulation

01.09.2020 bis 31.08.2021

The cerebellum is implicated in the regulation of motor and non-motor behaviors. Cerebellar dysfunction can lead to several debilitating conditions, including tremors, ataxia, dysmetria and gait disorders, but also cognitive and emotional disorders. As the cerebellum is strongly connected via its efferent pathways with neocortex, understanding how the cerebellum interacts with the cerebral cortex would be invaluable to better understand cerebellar physiology, as well as to develop interventions targeted to improve cerebellar function and mitigate the limitations suffered by individuals with its dysfunctions.
With this project we aim to investigate cerebellar physiology by applying direct stimulation to the cerebellum in healthy human volunteers by means of non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and analyze cerebral cortex responses to these stimuli by means of surface electroencephalography (EEG). This TMS-EEG technology has so far been limited to TMS of cerebral cortex, and will here be extended to TMS of cerebellum. Moreover, we aim to perform the TMS-EEG measurements also during the execution of tasks known to demand cerebellar input, namely rhythmic finger tapping and a working memory task, which would help to further establish a connection between neurophysiological responses and state-dependent cerebellar output.