Transcranial Cortex Stimulation, Neuroplasticity and learning

The excitability of the cerebral cortex can be modulated by various transcranial stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). These techniques offer new methods in studying the relationship between neurophysiological and cognitive/behavioral processes in humans and may provide new approaches for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In a series of experiments we are studying the modulating effects of TMS and tDCS on cortical excitability in different kinds of learning paradigms such as in motor learning, tactile discrimination learning and in the physiological self-regulation of cortical excitability (Neurofeedback). To investigate the neuropsychological effects of transcranial cortex stimulation, different neuroimaging and psychophysiological research methods are being combined:

EEG, fMRI, Neurofeedback, EDA, EKG, psycho-endocrine parameters and psychophysics.

Ahmed A. Karim, Martin Lotze

Selected publications:

Hodzic, A., Karim, A. A. , Veit, R., Erb, M ., & Godde, B. (2004). Improvement and decline in tactile behavior after cortical plasticity induced by passive tactile coactivation. Journal of Neuroscience 24 (2), 442-446.

Karim A.A., Kammer T., Lotze M. , Hinterberger T., Godde B., Cohen L., Birbaumer N., 2003. Effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Slow Cortical Potentials (SCP). Clinical Neurophysiology Suppl. (56), 331-337.

Karim, A. A. , Kammer, T., Lotze, M., Nitsche, M. A., Godde, B., Hinterberger, T., Cohen, L. G., & Birbaumer, N. (2004). Effects of TMS and tDCS on the physiological Regulation of cortical excitability in a Brain-Computer Interface. Biomedical Engineering 49(1), 55-57.

Karim, A. A. , Schueler, A., Hegner, Y. L., Friedel, E., & Godde, B. (submitted). Facilitating effect of 15 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on tactile perceptual learning.

Lotze M. , Braun C., Birbaumer N., Anders S., Cohen L.G. 2003. Motor learning elicited by voluntary drive. Brain 126 (4): 886-872.

Lotze M . , Käthner R. J., Erb M., Cohen L.G., Grodd W., Topka H. 2003. Comparison of representational maps using fMRI and TMS. Clinical Neurophysiology 114(2), 306-312.