Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Human Prefrontal Cortex Induces Dopamine Release in the Caudate Nucleus

• Published in: The Journal of neuroscience Vol. 21; no. 15; pp. 157 - RC157
• Main Authors: Strafella, Antonio P, Paus, Tomas, Barrett, Jennifer, Dagher, Alain
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Soc Neuroscience 01.08.2001; Society for Neuroscience
• Subjects: Adult; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Behavior - physiology; Carbon Isotopes; Caudate Nucleus - diagnostic imaging; Caudate Nucleus - metabolism; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine Antagonists - analysis; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacokinetics; Electric Stimulation - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation - methods; Electromagnetic Fields; Female; Humans; Male; Nucleus Accumbens - diagnostic imaging; Nucleus Accumbens - metabolism; Occipital Lobe - physiology; Prefrontal Cortex - physiology; Putamen - diagnostic imaging; Putamen - metabolism; Raclopride - analysis; Raclopride - pharmacokinetics; Rapid Communication; Receptors, Dopamine - metabolism; Reference Values; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
• ISSN: 0270-6474; 1529-2401; 1529-2401
• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.21-15-j0003.2001

Dopamine is implicated in movement, learning, and motivation, and in illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. Little is known about the control of dopamine release in humans, but research in experimental animals suggests that the prefrontal cortex plays an important role in regulating the release of dopamine in subcortical structures. Here we used [(11)C]raclopride and positron emission tomography to measure changes in extracellular dopamine concentration in vivo after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in healthy human subjects. Repetitive TMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex caused a reduction in [(11)C]raclopride binding in the left dorsal caudate nucleus compared with rTMS of the left occipital cortex. There were no changes in binding in the putamen, nucleus accumbens, or right caudate. This shows that rTMS of the prefrontal cortex induces the release of endogenous dopamine in the ipsilateral caudate nucleus. This finding has implications for the therapeutic and research use of rTMS in neurological and psychiatric disorders.