Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot

Background: Paired-coil TMS can delineate causal connections between cortical areas. Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI) is a rapid inhibitory process, in which one primary motor cortex (M1) inhibits the other through the corpus callosum. Previous work suggests that both SIHI and motor...

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Main Authors: David Emanuel Vetter, Andreas Jooß, Tuomas P. Mutanen, Gábor Kozák, Ulf Ziemann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Brain Stimulation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X25002281
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author David Emanuel Vetter
Andreas Jooß
Tuomas P. Mutanen
Gábor Kozák
Ulf Ziemann
author_facet David Emanuel Vetter
Andreas Jooß
Tuomas P. Mutanen
Gábor Kozák
Ulf Ziemann
author_sort David Emanuel Vetter
collection DOAJ
description Background: Paired-coil TMS can delineate causal connections between cortical areas. Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI) is a rapid inhibitory process, in which one primary motor cortex (M1) inhibits the other through the corpus callosum. Previous work suggests that both SIHI and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) originate in the motor hotspot. However, SIHI and MEPs are mediated by different neuronal populations. Objectives: Here we used a recently published TMS-based association-method (Weise et al., 2023, Nat Protoc 18:293–318) to test if the neuronal populations mediating SIHI and MEPs can be spatially discriminated. Method: s: We mapped the origin of SIHI and MEPs of hand muscles in each hemisphere, using the novel association-method to perform a ‘source space’ mapping on 18 healthy volunteers. Results: The origin of SIHI (the ‘coldspot’) was identifiable in the majority of subjects near the motor hotspot, at the hand-knob and around the central sulcus. It was displaced posterolaterally from the motor hotspot by about 6 mm. Post-hoc analyses revealed that precisely targeting the coldspot elicited significantly stronger SIHI compared to targeting the motor hotspot. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that the TMS-based association-method for source-space mapping enables physiological investigation of the distinct neuronal populations that give rise to interhemispheric inhibition of the contralateral motor cortex versus motor evoked potentials in contralateral hand muscles. SIHI can be more effectively elicited by targeting the coldspot rather than the hotspot, a potentially relevant distinction when aiming to modify interhemispheric neural communication, e.g., in stroke rehabilitation.
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spelling doaj-art-de52ff9e33a14db2b23f66cfbd8c06522025-08-20T03:40:25ZengElsevierBrain Stimulation1935-861X2025-07-011841074108110.1016/j.brs.2025.05.115Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspotDavid Emanuel Vetter0Andreas Jooß1Tuomas P. Mutanen2Gábor Kozák3Ulf Ziemann4Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto Yliopisto, Uusimaa, Espoo, FinlandDepartment of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Corresponding author. Department of Neurology & Stroke, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.Background: Paired-coil TMS can delineate causal connections between cortical areas. Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI) is a rapid inhibitory process, in which one primary motor cortex (M1) inhibits the other through the corpus callosum. Previous work suggests that both SIHI and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) originate in the motor hotspot. However, SIHI and MEPs are mediated by different neuronal populations. Objectives: Here we used a recently published TMS-based association-method (Weise et al., 2023, Nat Protoc 18:293–318) to test if the neuronal populations mediating SIHI and MEPs can be spatially discriminated. Method: s: We mapped the origin of SIHI and MEPs of hand muscles in each hemisphere, using the novel association-method to perform a ‘source space’ mapping on 18 healthy volunteers. Results: The origin of SIHI (the ‘coldspot’) was identifiable in the majority of subjects near the motor hotspot, at the hand-knob and around the central sulcus. It was displaced posterolaterally from the motor hotspot by about 6 mm. Post-hoc analyses revealed that precisely targeting the coldspot elicited significantly stronger SIHI compared to targeting the motor hotspot. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that the TMS-based association-method for source-space mapping enables physiological investigation of the distinct neuronal populations that give rise to interhemispheric inhibition of the contralateral motor cortex versus motor evoked potentials in contralateral hand muscles. SIHI can be more effectively elicited by targeting the coldspot rather than the hotspot, a potentially relevant distinction when aiming to modify interhemispheric neural communication, e.g., in stroke rehabilitation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X25002281TMSMotor mappingPrimary motor cortexShort-interval interhemispheric inhibitionAssociation algorithmE-field
spellingShingle David Emanuel Vetter
Andreas Jooß
Tuomas P. Mutanen
Gábor Kozák
Ulf Ziemann
Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
Brain Stimulation
TMS
Motor mapping
Primary motor cortex
Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition
Association algorithm
E-field
title Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
title_full Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
title_fullStr Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
title_full_unstemmed Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
title_short Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
title_sort short interval interhemispheric inhibition does not originate from the motor hotspot
topic TMS
Motor mapping
Primary motor cortex
Short-interval interhemispheric inhibition
Association algorithm
E-field
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X25002281
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AT gaborkozak shortintervalinterhemisphericinhibitiondoesnotoriginatefromthemotorhotspot
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