Publication

Preliminary evidence of prolonged timing effects of theta-burst stimulation in the reading system

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Last modified
  • 06/25/2025
Type of Material
Authors
    Rachel M. Harrington, Georgia State UniversityLisa Krishnamurthy, Emory UniversityAlexandra Ossowski, Georgia State UniversityMykayla Jeter, Georgia State UniversityAdriane Davis, Georgia State UniversityEwelina Bledniak, Georgia State UniversityAshley L. Ware, Georgia State UniversityRobin Morris, Georgia State UniversityC. Nikki Arrington, Georgia State University
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2023-08-29
Publisher
  • Frontiers
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2023 Harrington, Krishnamurthy, Ossowski, Jeter, Davis, Bledniak, Ware, Morris and Arrington.
License
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
Volume
  • 17
Start Page
  • 1227194
Grant/Funding Information
  • This study was supported by the American Heart Association 20POST35050048 (PI: RH), the Oak Foundation OCAY-16-526 (PI: RM), the National Center for Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation NC NM4R P2CHD086844 MUSC18-114-8B465 (PI: CA), NIH P01HD070837 (PI: RM), NSF2112455 (Co-PI: RM), and NIH R01HD096261 (Investigators: RM and CA).
Abstract
  • Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) is a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation technique that can be used to upregulate or downregulate different brain regions. However, the timing of its effects and the differing effects of continuous TBS (cTBS) versus intermittent TBS (iTBS) in the reading system have not been explored. This study assessed how stimulation type and post-stimulation timing affected change in performance during a phonological discrimination and sight word recognition task after stimulation of supramarginal gyrus (SMG). Fourteen right-handed young adults (age 18–27 years; 44% male) were block-randomized to receive either iTBS or cTBS to the supramarginal gyrus. Participants then performed a pseudoword discrimination task and an orthographic awareness task (behavioral control) at four different time points and change in reaction time compared to baseline was measured from each time point. There was no effect of stimulation type on change in reaction time [t(16) = −0.2, p = 0.9], suggesting that both types of TBS caused similar effects. Percent change in reaction time decreased over time in the pseudoword task [t(50) = −5.9, p < 0.001], indicating faster pseudoword processing speed with better performance 60–70 min after stimulation. In contrast, no change was demonstrated over time for the behavioral control task [t(43) = −0.6, p = 0.6], suggesting that the change over time seen in the test condition was not a learning effect. These findings provide insight into the effects of TBS on the reading system and can guide future study designs.
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Keywords
Research Categories
  • Biology, Neuroscience

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