Design of a holder for the improved maneuvering of the concurrent TMS-MRI setup

Abstract

BackgroundConcurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is time-consuming because of the limited space in the MRI bore and the sophisticated placement and orientation of the TMS coil to elicit the desired brain activities and behaviors. ObjectiveWe developed a TMS coil holder capable of quick adjustment of the TMS coil position and orientation. The holder can also hold an MRI receiver coil array. MethodsA holder with one controlling knob, two omni-direction rotation joints, and two in-plane rotation joints was developed. ResultsDifferent TMS coil positions and orientations can be arranged and fixed in seconds. The holder can also accommodate two TMS coils to allow for multi-coil TMS-MRI. ConclusionOur development significantly improves the workflow of the concurrent TMS-MRI in new neuroscience studies and clinical applications.