The influence of low-frequency rTMS on EEG of rats

This study aimed to determine the effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on electroencephalograms (EEGs) of rats. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were subject to 100 pulses of 0.5 Hz rTMS, or sham stimulation. EEGs were recorded before stimulation and within 1 min after rTMS or sham stimulation. Estimates of the EEG correlation dimension (D2) and power spectra were calculated. Results show that the D2 reduced significantly after low-frequency rTMS, but not after sham stimulation. Mean absolute power (MAP) of the gamma band and relative power (RP) of the beta and gamma bands reduce markedly after low-frequency rTMS, but there are no changes with sham stimulation. These results indicate that low-frequency rTMS could affect cortical activities significantly, but effects were markedly different from those of high-frequency rTMS.