Background: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a new neurophysiological technique based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When a pulse of current passes through a coil, it becomes a magnetic field and penetrates the scalp and skull, and reach the brain painlessly.
Objective: Review TMS stimulator, types of stimulation, mechanism of action, and its application.
Material and method: There are three types of TMS stimulation: 1) Single pulse; used in studying of motor threshold and phosphene threshold. 2) Paired pulse; used in the study of intracortical inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms. 3) Repetitive stimulation; changes corticospinal/corticocortical pathway.
Results: The mechanisms increases activity of synapse, changes the secretion of neurotransmitter and causes neuronal plasticity or long-term potentiation. Repetitive stimulation is used in fundamental basic science for brain mapping. It is a new therapeutic method for neuro-psychiatic disorders that does not respond to medications.
Conclusion: TMS study is rapidly increasing and accepted as a noninvasive technique. The most favorable treating outcomes are depression and Parkinson disease. Other neuro-psychiatic therapeutic outcomes are ongoing.