TY - JOUR

T1 - Hand choice is unaffected by high frequency continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation to the posterior parietal cortex

AU - Fitzpatrick, Aoife M.

AU - Dundon, Neil M.

AU - Valyear, Kenneth F.

PY - 2022/10/13

Y1 - 2022/10/13

N2 - The current study used a high frequency TMS protocol known as continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to test a model of hand choice that relies on competing interactions between the hemispheres of the posterior parietal cortex. Based on the assumption that cTBS reduces cortical excitability, the model predicts a significant decrease in the likelihood of selecting the hand contralateral to stimulation. An established behavioural paradigm was used to estimate hand choice in each individual, and these measures were compared across three stimulation conditions: cTBS to the left posterior parietal cortex, cTBS to the right posterior parietal cortex, or sham cTBS. Our results provide no supporting evidence for the interhemispheric competition model. We find no effects of cTBS on hand choice, independent of whether the left or right posterior parietal cortex was stimulated. Our results are nonetheless of value as a point of comparison against prior brain stimulation findings that, in contrast, provide evidence for a causal role for the posterior parietal cortex in hand choice.

AB - The current study used a high frequency TMS protocol known as continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to test a model of hand choice that relies on competing interactions between the hemispheres of the posterior parietal cortex. Based on the assumption that cTBS reduces cortical excitability, the model predicts a significant decrease in the likelihood of selecting the hand contralateral to stimulation. An established behavioural paradigm was used to estimate hand choice in each individual, and these measures were compared across three stimulation conditions: cTBS to the left posterior parietal cortex, cTBS to the right posterior parietal cortex, or sham cTBS. Our results provide no supporting evidence for the interhemispheric competition model. We find no effects of cTBS on hand choice, independent of whether the left or right posterior parietal cortex was stimulated. Our results are nonetheless of value as a point of comparison against prior brain stimulation findings that, in contrast, provide evidence for a causal role for the posterior parietal cortex in hand choice.

KW - Hand

KW - Parietal Lobe/physiology

KW - Theta Rhythm/physiology

KW - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0275262

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0275262

M3 - Article

C2 - 36227882

VL - 17

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 10

M1 - e0275262

ER -