Neuro-Cardiac-Guided TMS (NCG-TMS): Probing DLPFC-sgACC-vagus nerve connectivity using heart rate - First results

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Given that many studies suggest a role of DLPFC-sgACC connectivity in depression and prior research demonstrating that neuromodulation of either of these nodes modulates parasympathetic activity and results in a heart rate deceleration, a new method is proposed to individualize localization of the DLPFC. This can, among others, be useful for rTMS treatment of depression. METHODS: Ten healthy subjects received three trains of 10Hz rTMS randomly over 7 target regions (10-20 system). RESULTS: Overall, F3 and F4 expressed the largest heart rate deceleration, in line with studies suggesting these are the best 10-20 sites to target the DLPFC. On the individual level, 20-40% subjects expressed the largest heart rate deceleration at FC3 or FC4, indicating individual differences as to the 'optimal site for stimulation'. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the NCG-TMS method is valid to localize the entry into the DLPFC-sgACC network.