Figure 3
TMS improves evoked-fMRI cortical responses after TBI.
Increase in BOLD fMRI responses in the non-injured S1 after four-week TMS treatment in TBI rats. (a) Representative BOLD fMRI Z-maps (P < 0.05) obtained from control, TBI and TBI + TMS rats were overlaid on the T2-weighted, high-resolution anatomical images. The cortical damage resulting from TBI can be clearly visualized in the left hemisphere. Significant increases in fMRI responses to contralateral limb stimulation in the intact, non-injured S1 are observed after four-week TMS treatment, compared to controls and TBI rats not subjected to TMS therapy. (b) Incident maps of BOLD fMRI responses overlaid on averaged T2-weighted high-resolution anatomical images at bregma 0. Numbers of rats were normalized for control (n = 6), TBI (n = 10) and TBI + TMS (n = 10) rats. (c) The average number of activated pixels across all the slices representing S1, shows an increase in evoked fMRI responses in TBI + TMS rats (n = 10), compared to rats not subjected to TMS therapy (n = 10; **P < 0.01). Imaging was performed once on each individual animal.
