Research articleContinuous theta burst stimulation inhibits the bilateral hemispheres

- cTBS at the left hemisphere reduces the MEP of right hand for more than 30 min.
- cTBS at the right hemisphere also reduces the MEP of right hand.
- cTBS at the left hemisphere inhibit the activity of bilateral motor cortex.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation induces changes in the cerebral cortex functions, either unilaterally or bilaterally. Here, we combined evoked potential recording and functional brain imaging to analyze the modulating effects of continuous theta burst stimulation in bilateral motor regions of the adult human cortex. We detected concurrent inhibition of the bilateral motor regions following stimulation, as evidenced by both the electrophysiological and imaging results. Our findings supported the notion that magnetic stimulation is able to modulate the contralateral hemisphere through the callosal connectivity.