Development and validation of a hotspot determination method for transcranial magnetic stimulation based on tractography through robotic positioning

• Grant number: 22/15500-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: Oswaldo Baffa Filho
• Grantee: Thais Cunha Marchetti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07699-0 - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics - NeuroMat, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure for stimulation of the cerebral cortex, based on the generation, through coils, of a variant magnetic field capable of inducing an electric field in the cerebral cortex, depolarizing neurons in a small region. Determining the stimulation site of a target muscle (hotspot) is done through manual mapping, making this procedure very dependent on the operator's skills. Therefore, the objective of the project is the development of a method for determining the hotspot based on magnetic resonance tractography, as well as its integration into the automated positioning system developed from the integration of a collaborative robotic arm and the free neuronavigation software InVesalius Navigator. The method to be developed will be compared with the usual technique, finding the hotspot manually, through EMT experiments. Another stage of the project will be the implementation of a control system through a force and torque sensor, to increase the positioning control through the contact force and the distance between the coil and the stimulation target. It is expected, at the end of the project, a greater standardization of the routine of an EMT session, improving the reproducibility of the technique, by reducing dependence on the operator.