Reproducibility of intracortical inhibition and facilitation using the paired-pulse paradigm

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 23; no. 10; pp. 1594 - 1597
• Main Authors: Boroojerdi, Babak, Kopylev, Leonid, Battaglia, Fortunato, Facchini, Stefano, Ziemann, Ulf, Muellbacher, Wolf, Cohen, Leonardo G.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.2000; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - physiology; Electromyography; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; intracortical excitability; intracortical inhibition; Magnetics; Male; Middle Aged; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; motor cortex; Muscles - physiology; Neural Inhibition - physiology; paired-pulse technique; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Time Factors; transcranial magnetic stimulation; variability; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Facilitation; Human; Motor pathway; Variability; Central nervous system; Excitability; Reproducibility; Paired stimulation; Motor cortex; Magnetic stimulus; Electromyography; Motor evoked potential; Inhibition; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-4598(200010)23:10<1594::AID-MUS19>3.0.CO;2-3

We have evaluated the reproducibility of intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF) studied with paired‐pulse focal transcranial magnetic stimulation. Three investigators studied the same subjects (n = 4) in three different sessions. A high variability was shown across subjects [coefficient of variation, (cv) 67.3% for ICI and 21.2% for ICF]. Intersession variability was up to 37.1% for ICI and 22.7% for ICF. Interinvestigator variability was 17.3% for ICI and negligible for ICF. Our results may have implications for planning future studies. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 1594–1597, 2000